MBC x Lifetime ‘Men Who Clean the Earth’ went on an eco-trip that went beyond imagination.

The ‘Men Who Clean the Earth’ (hereafter ‘지죽남’) broadcast on Monday the 22nd depicted the Mongolian eco-trip of Kim Seok-hoon, Kwon Yul, Im Woo-il, Shin Jae-ha, and Nomadsion. ‘지죽남’ is a new concept ESG travel program that looks back on the environment through a trip where you can do whatever you want with what you don‘t have. Since its first broadcast last week, it has received rave reviews from viewers for its new encounter between the environment and travel.

The Ulaanbaatar landfill that became a hot topic after last week’s broadcast. On this day, Kim Seok-hoon and Im Woo-il helped ‘Mongseokgu’ Batcholon collect recyclables. The two struggled to select plastic, Batcholon‘s main product, from a huge mountain of garbage that was not separated at all. At this time, Kim Seok-hoon, who had eaten some trash rice(?), surprised the cast by pouring out his encyclopedia-level recycling knowledge.

Batcholon, who started selling recycled goods at the age of 5 to help his family, walked two hours round trip to the junk shop carrying two sacks weighing nearly 10 kg each on his shoulders. Batcholon earns about 3,200 won by selling 20 kg of recycled goods. Kim Seok-hoon said about Batcholon, who matured earlier than his peers, “He seemed to be happily overcoming the weight of life. It was one of the most memorable moments of my trip to Mongolia, and I think I will remember it for a long time.”

On the morning of the third day of his trip to Mongolia, Kim Seok-hoon jumped out of his seat when he heard the sound of a video call from his children during breakfast, making everyone laugh. It was his first overseas trip in 5 years since getting married, and Kim Seok-hoon also felt awkward without his children. Kim Seok-hoon continued the video call with his children in an affectionate voice, drawing attention. Even Song Eun-i, who has been friends with Kim Seok-hoon for 30 years, was surprised by his cute voice that she was hearing for the first time. The warm and affectionate ‘dad’ Kim Seok-hoon gave viewers a fresh and warm charm.

On that day’s broadcast, the second project of the ‘Geo-wiping Man’ crew was revealed after visiting a landfill. It was none other than a mission to plant trees in the desert. Mongolia, which is 7 times the size of the Korean Peninsula, has suffered from rapid climate change, and 77% of its land has become desertified, which has led to an environment where sand flies more easily. This is having a negative impact on our country as well, and the Mongolian Forest Creation Project has been ongoing in South Korea for the past 20 years.

Kim Seok-hoon, who is serious about the desertification issue to the point of meeting with officials from the Korea Forest Service, expressed his excitement about planting trees, saying, “This is the most important day.” Nomadsion found out about a place that sells seedlings through a Mongolian acquaintance, and the crew went to the seedling store as soon as the sun rose. But where they followed the map was an ordinary residential area. No matter how much they looked around, there was no place that looked like a tree store. When they were on the verge of failing to get the most important tree seedlings, the atmosphere quickly became serious. Fortunately, the store owner showed up shortly after, and the crew barely succeeded in purchasing the seedlings.



Then, the ‘Ji-Dak-Nam’ crew headed to the Elsungtasarhae desert to plant trees. The five men finally arrived at the desert after driving on a roller coaster-like unpaved road. Despite it being only the third day of their trip, they showed great chemistry and quickly finished setting up their tent and preparing dinner. With the Milky Way decorating the night sky as if it were about to pour down, the crew members gathered in front of five tents and enjoyed a rare moment of leisure while eating simple ramen and sausages.

Shin Jae-ha said, “The scenery soothes me,” and Kim Seok-hoon praised him, saying, “I think Jae-ha will become a great actor. He has a poetic spirit.” Kwon Yul, who played the role of a warm and affectionate mood-maker at the center of the crew throughout the trip, said, “I think you‘ll all become people I want to see by the end of the trip,” showing his true affection for the crew members, creating a warm atmosphere.

At the end of the broadcast that day, the unrealistic desert night sky was revealed. The Milky Way decorating the night sky left a deep impression on not only the ‘Ji-wak-nam’ crew members, but also the viewers. The eco-trip of the ‘Earth-Cleaning Men’ crew, which delivers more emotion, laughter, and education than you can imagine, is drawing attention to what kind of surprising fun it will bring next week.

Meanwhile, ‘Earth-Cleaning Men’ was selected for production support from the Korea Communications Commission (KCA) in 2024. It airs simultaneously on MBC and A&E Korea’s Lifetime every Monday at 9 p.m.

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