Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.
Yoo Jae-suk's travel show returns with 'no apps' experiment in Europe
A scene from the travel show "Punghyanggo" / Courtesy of YouTube channel DdeunDdeun
By Park Jin-hai
What happens when Korea’s most seasoned variety star is stripped of Google Maps, booking apps and online searches for traveling? In “Punghyanggo” Season 2, Yoo Jae-suk and his cast are allowed to use only their phones’ call and camera functions — everything else is disabled. That single rule turns the travel series into an unexpectedly fresh experiment in analog adventure in an increasingly digital era.
True to its title, which loosely means “going wherever the wind takes you” in Korean, the show embraces spontaneity over strategy. After heading to Vietnam in 2024 for its first season, the team now travels to Austria and Hungary, once again without reservations or pre-planned itineraries. Instead of relying on search engines, they carry printed booklets and navigate by instinct.
Their unplanned, reservation-free journey brings viewers a rare sense of spontaneity and rediscovery in travel as “Punghyanggo” offers something in contrast to today’s hyper-organized trips — the messy, uncertain joy of getting lost and finding your way again.
The four members — Yoo, Lee Sung-min, Jee Seok-jin and Yang Se-chan — are hilariously earnest in their "no apps, no plans" adventures. Starting with their aimless search for a bank at Incheon International Airport, they roam Vienna's crowded streets during the Christmas season with just a map in hand looking for lodging and queue for schnitzel only to miss out without a reservation, but chats with locals spark raw fun.
In the latest episode, released Feb. 14, they embark on their journey to Hungary, blissfully unaware of a train delay that sends them scrambling in confusion. Upon reaching Budapest, they fumble with taxis and hotel key cards, dragging oversized suitcases through the snowy streets. Despite these little mishaps, they smile widely at the sight of the beautifully lit Hungarian Parliament Building.
A poster for the travel show "Punghyanggo" / Courtesy of ENA
That "no apps, no plans" philosophy also lands as a kind of digital detox for viewers who feel worn down by information overload. The clumsy thrills of smartphone-free travel, those slow and inconvenient yet deeply human moments are precisely the message "Punghyanggo" conveys. Onscreen, we see members lose their way yet laugh together or discover true hidden gems through sheer footwork, reminding us all of travel's forgotten essence.
“I’m from the generation that traveled with nothing but a map and a guidebook,” wrote blogger tanpopo1003, after watching the show. “Before smartphone apps or Google Maps, I wandered wherever the wind took me, getting lost but always smiling. Watching 'Punghyanggo' made me realize again that even when plans go astray, the real joy of travel lies in those fleeting, unscripted moments of laughter and discovery.”
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Another viewer shared that the show feels like traveling alongside the cast, evoking a sense of being there together.
"I'm at the hospital with my younger brother who has Lou Gehrig's disease — we were waiting for the show and two hours flew by in a flash! Though his body is gradually becoming paralyzed and overseas trips are no longer possible, watching the mishaps of 'Punghyanggo' gives us vicarious joy through proxy travel — and a twinge of envy too," a fan of the show commented.
Despite running close to two hours per episode — a bold choice in an era dominated by bite-sized, short-form content — the viewership numbers are astonishing. Episode 1, released on YouTube channel DdeunDdeun on Jan. 24, racked up 9.65 million views as of Thursday.
Culture critic Kim Kyo-seok said the show's restrictions strip away the carefully staged comfort typically afforded to celebrity travel programs, replacing it with something more relatable: flawed individuals reacting in real time.
"Their sudden emotional outbursts, unpolished reactions and problem-solving in chaotic situations feel intriguing and mirror my own life — far from the smoothly polished 'good guy' personas typical in variety shows. Their imperfect journeys and moods feel intimately familiar, stirring wanderlust through the performers' genuine delight in the destinations. In short, their trip looks fun and you want to join in and tag along," he said.
"Today's variety shows must tap not just into story enjoyment, but viewers' desire to belong in that world. This explains why fans book tables at restaurants from Netflix's 'Culinary Class Wars' or attend live performances of contestants after music survival shows end."