'Infinite Challenge' continues to impress

Haha, left, member of "Infinite Challenge" is seen crying while fellow member Yoo Jae-suk talks with Kang Kyung-nam, a first-generation Korean resident at Utoro, Japan. / Yonhap

The entertainment program “Infinite Challenge” aired on Saturday, showed cast member Haha delivering traditional Korean food to residents in Utoro, Japan, a village that will soon be demolished despite efforts from residents to preserve the buildings and keep their community alive.

Utoro, situated near Kyoto, is where some 1,300 Koreans were mobilized into forced labor for Japan’s military during World War II. They were brought over to build landing strips for the air force but the construction was not completed before the war ended.

A total of 150 Koreans still live in Utoro where residents have been served with eviction orders. Only 91-year-old Kang Kyung-nam remains of the Koreans brought over during the war. The village is scheduled for demolition in two years time.

Haha brought traditional dishes from the southeastern Gyeongsang and the southwestern Jeolla region. He also brought photos of Kang’s hometown in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province.

Meanwhile, MBC’s entertainment program grabbed this year’s top prize awarded by the Korean Broadcasters Association.