Director hails dream Netflix collaboration as 'Three Idiots in Kenya' climbs charts

A scene from the Netflix reality show "Three Idiots in Kenya" / Courtesy of Netflix

By Kim Se-jeong

• Published Dec 9, 2025 4:21 PM KST
• Updated Dec 9, 2025 4:39 PM KST

Collaboration with Netflix was both a dream-come-true and a major learning opportunity, said one of the directors behind “Three Idiots in Kenya,” Netflix's Korean original reality show released on Nov. 25.

“Netflix is a platform many Korean creatives dream of working with these days. We're honored and proud to have launched a program on the service,” director Kim Ye-seul said during an interview in Seoul, Tuesday. Kim directed the six-episode show together with Nah Yung-suk, who she has worked with since her time as an assistant director.

The travel reality series follows comedian Lee Soo‑geun, rapper‑TV personality Eun Ji‑won and Super Junior’s Kyuhyun on a chaotic adventure in Kenya in a spin‑off of the “New Journey to the West” franchise, which helped cement Nah’s reputation as a star director. Having worked with all three cast members for years, Kim now steps up as a main director.

Filming in Kenya was inspired by an event from “Three Meals in Iceland,” another spin-off in the same franchise. Kyuhyun had won a stay at a giraffe hotel in Kenya, and following through turned out to be a rewarding choice for Kim and the crew.

“We chose Kenya because of where ‘New Journey to the West’ left off, but it was an excellent choice. Kenya is a wonderful place to visit. After this trip, I always recommend the country when people ask for travel suggestions.”

“Three Idiots in Kenya” drew attention in Korea’s crowded entertainment market, in part because it marked Nah’s first collaboration with the world's most influential streaming platform.

Kim said working with Netflix broadened the team’s understanding of global audiences.

“We learned we need people who can see the bigger picture for international viewers,” the director said. “Take subtitles, for example. They translated the dialogue into many different languages and everything was typo-free."

Kim added that the show's English title, “Three Idiots in Kenya,” was chosen by Netflix and "fits the show perfectly." The previous spin-off was called “Three Meals in Iceland,” continuing a tradition from Nah’s much-lauded “Three Meals a Day” series.

Asked about major differences she felt while working with Netflix compared to normal production for Korean TV, she mentioned the longer time between shooting and release.

"We filmed the show in May. Normally, it would only take one month to edit and release. But it took a lot longer with Netflix. That level of precision is necessary for global audiences and I think that explains why the release took longer.”

The series ranked fifth on Netflix’s non-English entertainment chart on Dec. 3 and she hopes the collaboration will lead to a second season, though nothing is confirmed.

“We don’t know yet,” Kim said. “We’ll soon meet with the Netflix team to share more detailed feedback. Only then will we know what comes next.”

The show arrives amid a surge of Korean reality programs on global streaming platforms. While reality programs are popular for their cost-effectiveness and the proven appeal of Korean content, directors like Kim are increasingly interested in streaming partnerships for greater creative freedom and access to bigger budgets.

Next week, Netflix will release the highly anticipated second season of “Culinary Class Wars.” It will also release another travel reality show featuring actor Lee Seo-jin that was co-directed by Kim and Nah next year.

“We’re hoping to work more closely with Netflix,” Kim said.