They hate hiking but were sent up Korea's mountains — and became a Netflix hit

Singer-songwriter Car, the garden, DAY6's Dowoon, actor Lee Chae-min and ALLDAY PROJECT's Tarzzan gather after hearing that they have been cast in Nah Yung-suk's new variety show. Expecting a fun program filled with travel and games, the four arrive smiling from ear to ear.

Instead, they are told that they must conquer some of Korea's most famous mountains, one by one, in the dead of winter.

"Sounds like a job scam," one complains. "We want to quit."

Netflix's 10-episode variety show "Take a Hike!" — with eight episodes currently available — follows four people with little to no interest in hiking as they embark on an involuntary expedition through snow-covered mountains. Nah Yung-suk and producer Park Hyun-yong, who previously worked together on "Jinny's Kitchen," "New Journey to the West" and "Earth Arcade," serve as co-directors.

The third collaboration between Nah's production team and Netflix takes a different path from the familiar formula that has brought the producers success — and the response has exceeded expectations. The show reached No. 1 on Netflix's domestic series rankings just five days after its release, making a strong impression on viewers.

Calling themselves the "mountain descent club" because they much prefer going down to going up, the four begin with a 10-hour round trip training session at Mount Seorak. They later take on Mount Halla, Mount Taebaek and the Yeongnam Alps, among other major mountains across Korea.

The mountains are breathtaking but far from easy, earning the show the label of a "suffering variety show." It has also drawn comparisons with other outdoor programs, including MBC's "Extreme 84," which follows marathon challenges, and tvN's "Iron Girls," in which participants take on demanding events such as triathlons.

But what sets "Take a Hike!" apart is the absence of the emotional triumph and sense of accomplishment viewers might normally expect from such programs.

Hiking itself is not the destination. Rather, it is a device for drawing out raw, unscripted reactions from the cast.

When a producer begins explaining the terrain like a tour guide while the exhausted members struggle uphill, one of them snaps, "Are you getting government money to do product placement?"

Even when they reach the summit after a grueling climb and witness a spectacular sunrise, the emotional moment is quickly interrupted by their desperate calls to head back down.

"Back in the day, you were expected to cry whenever you saw a sunrise," Nah said during a press conference for the show. "But these guys said they were too tired and didn't even want to look at it. That's a genuine reaction, and it's the kind of humor people relate to these days."

There are no familiar faces either.

While Nah's previous Netflix programs, such as "Three Idiots in Kenya" and "Ready or Not: Texas," have relied on established cast members, including Lee Su-geun and Lee Seo-jin, in a spin-off format, "Take a Hike!" takes a risk by bringing together four people who had never been particularly close.

"We prioritized people who we thought would show the most genuine reactions when placed in extreme situations," Park said.

Without the safety net of veteran reality-show entertainers, the gradual emergence of distinct relationships and roles among the four members becomes a fresh source of entertainment in itself.

The producers also boldly abandoned another staple of Korean travel shows: overseas filming.

Instead, they showcase the majestic ridgelines and sweeping summit views of Korea's iconic mountains with striking cinematography, while providing detailed explanations of the landscapes.

The distinctly Korean tradition of eating seaweed rice rolls or instant noodles at the summit could also resonate with domestic viewers while satisfying the curiosity of international audiences.

"We approached hiking as seriously as any documentary would," Park said. "The show begins with the question, 'Why on earth do people hike?' We hope viewers will stay with us to see whether the four people who started out asking that question can eventually find their own answers."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.