Kim Jong Kook expressed his feelings about visiting prison for the first time in his life.
SBS’s new pilot program “No Entry except for Officials” (literal title) which will premiere on January 5, 2023, is about a one-day pass to the “no entry except for officials” areas where outsiders cannot access.
PD Lee Dong Won of “Unanswered Questions” and writer Kim Tae Hee, who has penned legendary entertainment programs such as “Infinite Challenge” and “Radio Star”, are working together. Kim Jong Kook, Yang Se Hyung, and Lee Yi Kyung are appearing as hosts and raising expectations.
Among them, Kim Jong Kook talked about the forbidden areas visited in the program through an interview, raising more expectations for the 1st episode.
“No entry except for officials” is a program with a concept quite different from existing entertainment programs that aim for fun and laughter. Also, as you set foot in an unfamiliar space that is inaccessible to the general public, you must have made a different decision than common entertainment in deciding to appear. Kim Jong Kook revealed the reason for his decision to join the program, saying, “I feel attracted to the fact that I could directly visit a security facility that is not displayed on the navigation and only those involved can enter.”
The first off-limits area that Kim Jong Kook visited on the program was the detention center and prison in southern Seoul. When Kim Jong Kook first heard that he was going to a detention center, he said, “It felt strange because I thought I would never go there in my life. But I also wondered if it would be the same as what I usually saw in movies.”
He continued, “I thought it was for filming, so I went with a light heart, but when I entered the actual detention center, at some point I thought, ‘Why am I here?’ and was confused.”
Kim Jong Kook recalled, “The living room where the inmates live in the prison is the most memorable. I actually went into the room where the inmates lived. It felt strange to see the objects and traces of the people living in it. The most memorable thing after filming was the stories of prison guards working there. In particular, I remember a prison official saying, ‘I am working hard because it is something that someone has to do.’ It made me feel again that there are many people who silently try to make sure that society can operate stably.”
Kim Jong Kook also praised Yang Se Hyung and Lee Yi Kyung, his co-hosts who accompanied him to various prohibited areas. Kim Jong Kook said, “We got along much better than I thought. Especially, I spent a lot of time with Lee Yi Kyung during filming. She has good stamina and wit, so filming was fun.” This makes viewers look forward to the chemistry of the 3 hosts even more.
Kim Jong Kook asserted, “The goal is, of course, making it a regular program to visit many off-limits areas in the world. Personally, I want to visit all places that are classified as first-class security areas, such as the FBI training center and the Antarctic base. After the first episode is broadcast, I want to hear from viewers that they are curious about another off-limits area and that the stories of the people who work there have been conveyed well.”
Source: Daum.
