JTBC‘s ‘Tokpawon 25 Hours’ presented a travel course that was both enjoyable and moving.

On the ‘Tokpawon 25 Hours’ aired on the 13th, French broadcaster Fabian appeared and captivated viewers with travel destinations with diverse charms, from the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France to a cup rice shop run by a Korean active in the U.S. and a magazine party in Hong Kong. The viewership ratings for the broadcast that day were 3.4% in the metropolitan area and 3.1% nationwide based on Nielsen Korea’s paid households.

First, in ‘Tokpawon World Exploration Life’, the French Tokpawon followed in the footsteps of French author Victor Hugo, a figure deeply connected to Notre Dame Cathedral, a symbol of French history. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of his birth, Victor Hugo‘s house, which opened as a museum, attracted attention with a space that recreated the study and bedroom from that time, as well as a portrait of his wife.

In particular, Victor Hugo’s love story was interesting. The story of Victor Hugo, who was said to have had an affair for 50 years due to his severe philandering, and Victor Hugo‘s wife, who was said to have had an affair with her husband’s best friend, really gave me a rush of dopamine.

Next, Tokpawon headed to the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral, which is set to reopen after about 5 years and 8 months since the massive fire in 2019, to take a look at the restored cathedral. It was surprising to hear that the cathedral was rebuilt with the goal of restoring it to its original state, with over 1 trillion won spent and about 2,000 craftsmen from around the world involved. The interior of the cathedral was so clean that there were no traces of the fire, which greatly impressed those who saw it.

In addition, in ‘Korean Exploration Life in the World’, the American Tokpawon met a Korean who runs a cupbap shop in Utah, USA, and achieved annual sales of 60 billion won. The cupbap shop, which has a unique culture, provided a special experience by greeting customers warmly and enjoying it together while shouting “Cupbap”. In addition, the unique marketing strategy of creating a side menu with various foods that both Koreans and Americans like made people realize why sales are high.


Meanwhile, MCs Jeon Hyun-moo and Yang Se-chan went to Hong Kong and went on an energetic trip with the Hong Kong Tokpawon. The three of them had a special time getting a Shan Tong Jing at the largest Taoist temple in Hong Kong and practicing Wing Chun at a martial arts center. After practicing Wing Chun, Yang Se-chan and Jeon Hyun-moo showed off their clumsy skills in a 1-on-1 duel, causing an uproar of laughter.

The three of them, who moved to the party venue dressed to the nines, also enjoyed a pre-party before the main party. After getting excited by tasting finger foods prepared by a restaurant run by Chef Ahn Sung-jae, they posed at the photo wall and received a lot of attention from the press. The party was attended by stars from all over the world, including singer CL, actor Wei Ha-jun, and Hong Kong‘s top idol Mirror, which made the atmosphere even more glamorous.

While enjoying the party, he successfully interviewed world-famous star Fan Bingbing, making everyone unable to take their eyes off her. Showing off his honed Chinese skills, Jeon Hyun-moo asked, “Is there a Korean director or actor you’d like to work with?” and Fan Bingbing expressed her willingness to collaborate, saying, “Mr. Ahn Sung-ki.” When Yang Se-chan asked, “What Korean words do you know?”, the cute answer, “I love you, oppa,” drew applause.

Hong Se-young, Donga.com reporter, projecthong@donga.com