Star variety show producer Nah Yung-suk expressed strong confidence in the emergence of new talent in the variety show industry.

On the morning of the 12th, a press conference for the new Netflix variety show "Take a Hike!" was held at Hotel Naru Seoul MGallery in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Producing directors Nah Yung-suk and Park Hyun-yong attended the event along with cast members Car, the garden, DAY6 member DOWOON, actor Lee Chae-min, and ALLDAY PROJECT member TARZZAN to share various stories.

"Take a Hike!" is a hiking variety show that follows four involuntary hikers who have lived away from mountain climbing their entire lives as they embark on their very first midwinter snowy mountain expedition. The project is drawing anticipation as a new collaboration between production company Egg is Coming's "Nah Yung-suk division" and Netflix.

During the event, producer Nah Yung-suk shared, "My ambition was to create the next-generation variety show group that will lead South Korea for the next 10 years," adding, "We brought together fresh figures that no one has touched before with immense potential." He revealed strong confidence in casting Car, the garden, DOWOON, Lee Chae-min, and TARZZAN. He explained that although they were originally cast for a game variety show, the concept was abruptly shifted to a snowy mountain hike after confirming their exceptional physical stamina and determination during interviews.

Producer Nah mentioned that his discovery of their potential as entertainers came largely from "my own instinct," sharing the conviction he felt through long conversations during the planning stage.

Regarding Lee Chae-min, who has drawn attention as a global rising star through the drama "Bon Appétit, Your Majesty," producer Nah explained, "He is a figure who hasn't been shown much on variety shows, but I felt certain the moment I met him. If we could exclusively feature this friend, we could joyfully showcase his charms to the world. He looks normal on the outside, but once you meet him, he is a chatterbox with unexpected charms." He further expressed his ambition by saying, "He is an undeveloped, uncharted territory, so if we unpack it piece by piece, we could do this for 10 years."

He also shared the turning point for noticing DAY6 member DOWOON. Producer Nah stated, "While editing the JYP special of 'The Game Caterers', I was looking through unreleased footage that didn't make it to the broadcast, and DOWOON's strange and unique demeanor of acting differently from others caught my eye. When I met him, he turned out to be a completely different character from ordinary idols."

Co-producer Park Hyun-yong also picked "raw honesty" as the common denominator among the members. Expressing strong confidence, Park said, "All four of them have no pretense. They are raw, realistic characters just like Car, the garden is on YouTube. Since unpretentious individuals that variety producers desire the most have gathered here, you can look forward to it."

Bringing these four people together and taking them to the mountain yielded unexpected results. Producer Nah shared, "At first, I expected a touching story where they go to the mountain, reach the peak, hug each other, and shed tears, but once they got up there, they said it was too hard and didn't even want to look at the scenery. That is a truly raw reaction and today's code. I hope you will focus on and enjoy their individuality."

"Take a Hike!", which captures the encounter between Egg is Coming and Netflix alongside the snowy mountain struggles of the next-generation variety show raw gems discovered by producer Nah Yung-suk, consists of 10 episodes in total and will premiere on the 18th via Netflix.

[Photo = Reporter Baek Seung-chul]

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)