On the morning of the 12th, a production presentation for the Netflix variety show "Take a Hike!" was held at Hotel Naru Seoul M Gallery in Mapo-gu, Seoul. The event was attended by producing directors Nah Yung-suk and Park Hyun-yong, along with singer Car, the garden, DAY6 member DOWOON, actor Lee Chae-min, and ALLDAY PROJECT member TARZZAN.
"Take a Hike!" is a hiking variety show that follows four involuntary hikers, who have lived lives completely detached from climbing, as they embark on their very first winter expedition to snow-covered mountains. The project has drawn significant attention as a new release from production company Egg Is Coming's "Nah Yung-suk division" in collaboration with Netflix.
Taking on his first fixed variety show through this program, Lee Chae-min shared, "I usually like working out, but I have never gone hiking on my own. Hearing that we would be climbing massive, famous mountains rather than a small neighborhood hill behind my house was dizzying and made me very worried."
He also opened up about his feelings when actually climbing the snowy mountain, saying, "When I saw the sea of clouds spread out across the peak of Hallasan, it felt like a special, gift-like joy." However, he added with a laugh, "I still wanted to go back down," sharing his honest and grueling experience of the hike.
Producing director Nah Yung-suk showed deep affection for Lee Chae-min, Car, the garden, DOWOON, and TARZZAN, naming them "next-generation figures who will lead South Korean variety shows for the next 10 years." Regarding Lee Chae-min, producing director Nah remarked, "I felt certain the moment I first met him. I thought that if I could exclusively work with this friend, I could delightfully showcase his charm to the world. He looks completely normal on the outside, but once he gets excited, he becomes a chatterbox who talks endlessly. He is like an unexplored, unknown territory. If I unpack that one piece at a time, I figured I could work with him for 10 years," highly praising his variety show potential.
Co-producing director Park Hyun-yong praised him as well, saying, "Lee Chae-min is well-spoken, smart, and great at sharing opinions with the production team." At the same time, he playfully shared his difficulties, adding, "Because he has a strong competitive streak and refuses to lose to himself, and because he is tall and has great stamina, it was hard for the staff to keep up with him."
The production team initially cast the four members for a gaming variety show before pivoting to a hiking show and launching "Take a Hike!". As a result, the four members, who previously had no interest in hiking, set out on grueling winter mountain climbs in freezing environments dropping to minus 27 degrees Celsius, including Seoraksan and Hallasan. Having been suddenly pushed into hiking, the cast members playfully vented their grievances to the production team during the event, calling it an "employment scam."
Lee Chae-min took on the role of the team's "minister of foreign affairs," spotting and speaking up about the production team's disadvantageous proposals. Reflecting on the experience, Lee Chae-min recalled, "While climbing the mountains, I became really close with the members, and a deep sense of camaraderie formed."
When asked about a future casting call from producing director Nah Yung-suk, however, he wittily responded, "I think getting tricked once is enough. If he is kind enough to call me again, I will discuss it with the members, and if we do it, we will do it together and decide to leave together," drawing an explosion of laughter.
Finally, Lee Chae-min shared a key viewing point: "We beautifully captured the scenery of the snowy mountains that will completely wash away the heat if you watch from a cool room during the scorching summer. Please look forward to a grueling variety show that will help you beat the heat."
Netflix variety show "Take a Hike!", which captures the activities of next-generation variety star Lee Chae-min discovered by producing director Nah Yung-suk, consists of 10 episodes and will be released for the first time on the 18th.
[Photo = Reporter Baek Seung-chul]
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)