On MBC‘s ’I Live Alone‘, Jeon Hyun-moo, who realized his dream in Jeju Island with ’New Muka‘, and Koo Seong-hwan, who enjoyed a romantic trip in Hong Kong with an ultra-high-density compressed travel, brought laughter by conveying ’happiness after hardship‘. Accordingly, the viewership ratings soared to a high of 9.1%, and the 2049 viewership ratings took first place among all Friday programs.

The MBC show ‘I Live Alone’ (directed by Heo Hang, Kang Ji-hee, Park Soo-bin, Lee Kyung-eun, and Moon Ki-young) that aired on the 27th will reveal the story of Jeon Hyun-moo going on an impromptu trip to Jeju Island with ‘New Muka’, and the second story of Koo Sung-hwan going on a 2-day, 1-night trip to Hong Kong in search of memories and romance for the first time in 23 years.

According to Nielsen Korea, a viewership survey company, on the 28th, the household viewership ratings for ‘I Live Alone’ that aired the previous day recorded 7.5% in the metropolitan area, ranking first in the same time slot and first among Friday entertainment programs. Also, in the key 2049 viewership ratings, which are a major indicator for advertisers and a measure of channel competitiveness, it recorded 3.3% (based on the metropolitan area), taking first place in the same time slot and first place among all Friday programs.

The best minute was the scene where Jeon Hyun-moo eats his first breakfast buffet-style(?) on a cruise to Jeju Island (23:42~23:43). After driving all night and getting hit by a heavy hailstorm in the early morning, Jeon Hyun-moo, who had spent the night in his ‘New Muka’, inhaled noodles, tteokbokki, sundae, etc. As a result, the viewership ratings soared to a high of 9.1%.

After finishing his schedule, Jeon Hyun-moo introduced his ‘New Muka (Jeon Hyun-moo + camping car)’ and went on an impromptu trip to realize his dream of “driving along the coastal road of Jeju Island in my camping car. He arrived at Mokpo Port at dawn after driving all night. Jeon Hyun-moo takes a quick nap in the pop-up tent of ‘New Muca’ to board an early morning cruise to Jeju Island. Jeon Hyun-moo was flustered for a moment in the tent shaking due to the unexpected hailstorm, but he quickly fell into a deep sleep, snoring, causing everyone to laugh.



Jeon Hyun-moo, who entered Jeju Island after a whopping 17 hours, shared his excitement at riding on Jeju Island for the first time in ‘New Muca’, saying, “It felt like the first human to land on the moon,” and was the envy of all the Rainbow members. After driving along the wide coastal road and meeting his one-of-a-kind(?) Jeju Island cafe sibling, Jeon Hyun-moo talks about his recent activities and his ‘camping dreams’, and enjoys a leisurely rest.

Jeon Hyun-moo also takes in the scenery of Jeju Island’s blue sea with ‘New Muka’. Then, he enjoys a Jeju Island seafood party in front of the raging cold wind. The Rainbow members burst into laughter at Jeon Hyun-moo‘s appearance feeling the fresh tastes of Jeju Island, such as horned conch, abalone, and mantis shrimp, while facing the increasingly stronger sea breeze.

Jeon Hyun-moo said, “It was a trip that felt like 7 nights and 8 days. It was my first time going on a cruise, and I got to see my sibling for the first time in a long time and eat the seafood I wanted to eat. Personally, I think these types of trips are memorable,” sharing his thoughts on the trip. He continued, “The car was sent by courier. He firmly said, “One trip, one night,” causing an explosion of laughter.

On the other hand, Koo Seong-hwan, who went on a trip to Hong Kong for the first time in 23 years and recalled memories and romance, enjoyed an ultra-high-density compressed package tour by taking taxis, ferries, double-decker buses, and trams, following in the footsteps of Hong Kong actor brothers Tony Leung, Stephen Chow, and Leslie Cheung. Koo Seong-hwan, who did high-intensity CrossFit from the morning and struggled to find a good egg tart restaurant, experienced twists and turns such as struggling with drowsiness due to his physical limitations, but his passion for traveling never cooled.

Ko Seong-hwan, who waited in line at Tony Leung’s regular restaurant, was flustered when he found out that it wasn’t the restaurant he was looking for, but soon activated ‘Plan B’ and consoled himself by eating like crazy at another Hong Kong restaurant. In ‘A Better Tomorrow 2’, he kept climbing the stairs to find the ‘public phone booth’ that appears in the famous scene with Leslie Cheung, but he was dumbfounded when he found out that it was gone. However, he was satisfied as he took in the beautiful Hong Kong scenery with his own eyes.

Koo Sung-hwan headed to the place that would be the highlight of his 2-day, 1-night Hong Kong package trip, saying, “It’s a place that encapsulates the lights, sea, and mise-en-scène of Hong Kong. Koo Sung-hwan, who searched and verified blogs before making a reservation, exclaimed, “This is the Hong Kong I wanted... All my fatigue flew away” at the view from the restaurant where you can see the night view of Hong Kong at a glance.

Koo Sung-hwan had been looking forward to the laser show as the finale of his Hong Kong trip, which he had visited for the first time in 23 years. However, he was frustrated and disappointed by the laser show that was hard to see, saying, “I came to Hong Kong for 2 days and 1 night to see this, and it‘s in front of my house too”. However, this time too, Koo Seong-hwan enjoyed the happiness of his Hong Kong trip again with delicious food and night views, radiating positive energy. He said, “Hong Kong seems to be the kind of romance that I like,” sharing his thoughts on the short, two-day, one-night trip.

‘I Live Alone’, which ended 2024 with the travel story of Jeon Hyun-moo and Koo Seong-hwan, who found their dreams of romance and romance, raised expectations by announcing a special New Year’s special for 2025 featuring special stories from the Rainbow members next week.

Choi Yoon-na, Donga.com reporter yyynnn@donga.com