The outdoor entertainment program 'O Eun-young Stay' is coming.
At the MBN 'O Eun-young Stay' production presentation held online on the morning of the 23rd, Dr. O Eun-young, along with PD Lee So-jin, Ko So-young, and Moon Se-yoon, attended and talked.
MBN 'O Eun-young Stay' is a reality entertainment program that features individuals who have experienced pain that anyone may encounter in life, enrolling in a temple stay to soothe their weary hearts while spending a night and two days finding comfort, empathy, and various solutions. Led by the 'national mentor' Dr. O Eun-young, a specialist in mental health, the program will see actress Ko So-young, who is challenging her first fixed entertainment role in 33 years, and comedian Moon Se-yoon, known as the entertainment cheat key, spend time with the participants who are weary of life during the night and two days of temple stay.
Dr. O Eun-young will expand her previous solutions offered in the studio and the consultation room, planning to cry and communicate with the participants who came to the temple stay for healing while sharing empathy and encouragement. Alongside her, 'original goddess' Ko So-young will serve as a friendly empathy fairy, while Moon Se-yoon will bring his unique wit to fulfill the role of the 'golden youngest.'
The PD Lee So-jin, who directed the show, introduced it by saying, "'O Eun-young Stay' is a healing program for those with pain or stories that may come to anyone, allowing them to stay for two days and one night, rest, receive comfort, and share stories. It seems everyone is living in a time when it’s not okay, so you can think of it as a stay where people with stories that the viewers can relate to come together."
Moon Se-yoon, who became the 'golden youngest' at the age of 44 in this program, remarked, "I am so grateful, and it's not easy to be the youngest at 44 in any program. I always dream of being the youngest. Meeting older brothers and sisters and wanting to fool around is always a dream; however, Dr. O Eun-young and sister Ko So-young made it happen despite the age difference. I am the one handling the chores," eliciting laughter.
O Eun-young also expressed her greetings, saying, "I am O Eun-young of 'O Eun-young Stay.' This project was planned after much deliberation in celebration of MBN's 30th anniversary. In the midst of numerous content floods, I thought about how to reach the hearts of many people and create a program that adds strength to their lives, resulting in this program's birth. I hope it becomes a program that provides strength to everyone and gives them courage to live on while participating in 'O Eun-young Stay.' I will work hard. Thank you."
O Eun-young elaborated on the meaning of the space called 'temple,' explaining, "The 'temple' in temple stay does not necessarily refer to religious color. The environment, harmonized with nature, provides comfort and strength to humanity. Upon visiting here, I learned that Ssanggyesa Temple is a millennium-old temple."
She continued, "Although it’s called a temple stay, don’t be burdened by religious color. It’s a time to share moments in nature, which we were born into and will return to, and gain the courage to move forward with the strength gathered from this nature. I feel like I’ve gotten healthier during the two-day, one-night stay."
Participants gather in one place and spend two days and one night together. It is indeed challenging to achieve significant change in such a short time. Dr. O Eun-young said, "You might think, 'What could change in two days and one night?' This program isn't about changing anyone. It’s a time to listen to and empathize with someone else's precious life. I hope you see it as a time for some corner of your heart to be comforted in that process."
In the same vein, O Eun-young noted, "Previously, I had programs focused on understanding an individual’s inner self, diagnosing issues, and providing solutions from an expert’s perspective. This time, 'O Eun-young Stay' is different. It harnesses the power of the group."
O Eun-young emphasized, "The participants here all value life and have lived earnestly. Each of them becomes a source of encouragement. By harnessing the group's power as a driving force, we can directly experience how much strength can be generated when people unite and the kind of changes that occur when individuals come together."
Additionally, Ko So-young, who is appearing alongside, has decided to participate in entertainment for the first time in 33 years. He recalled, "Dr. O Eun-young's influence was the greatest for me. If you are a citizen of South Korea, you would want to meet the national mentor, especially for parents with children; when I had worries about whether I was on the right path, I had the opportunity to meet the teacher."
Ko So-young shared, "I had a personal relationship and was in a position to receive a lot of help, and he gave me a good suggestion. I thought that while I’m not there to find a big solution, having gone through 15 years of married life and parenting, I share a sense of empathy as a mother and daughter and feel I can relate. That’s why I decided to appear. It seems that rather than giving advice to the stories of first-time participants, I am receiving comfort and empathy myself."
When asked about reactions from those around her, Ko So-young responded, "In general, I might seem strong, and of course, I have that personality. But I also have a shy side. I tend to hesitate when making decisions, and I think I had that timid mind when things got tough. The reason I found courage was because of the teacher, and I thought it might be a good time to let go and rethink things."
Nevertheless, Ko So-young added, "People around me are incredibly envious. They say they want to go along. So many people are cheering for me, and my children are also big fans of Dr. O Eun-young. My daughter, who is very attached to me, has been supporting, saying, 'Mom, have a great time,' which allows me to approach this with ease."
When asked about the most memorable participant, Ko So-young stated, "All the participants remain in my memory. Since my child is young, I was particularly concerned about a participant known as 'mask girl' in the first season. She’s so young but bearing feelings she shouldn’t have to endure... She shouldn't have to shoulder such emotions. I wanted to communicate hope and show that not everything in the world is like that. When I saw her, I felt a mother's concern."
Moon Se-yoon explained his motivation for participating, saying, "In a production presentation, very few people say, 'I didn’t really fit in.' It’s more of a cliché, saying 'it really suited me' and I want to express it's beyond that. Furthermore, I am quite shy. Dr. O Eun-young knows this because she has worked with many comedians. Contrary to what a comedian appears to be, I get shy, and while I enjoy spending time with Dr. O, my wife is also a big fan, and my mother really enjoys it too."
In addition, Moon Se-yoon remarked, "Ko So-young is a dream figure, isn’t she? Who knows when I will see her again? I have been thinking that since school, but to meet her here is fascinating. Life feels worth living. I’m very excited; we connect well and surprisingly, it’s very fun. We have 'O Talk,' and soon it seems we will have 'Ko Talk.' It’s overwhelming. It’s been 33 years, hasn’t it? To liken it to kimchi, we have various discussions from fresh kimchi to aged kimchi prepared for everyone."
Moon Se-yoon added, "I don’t think of myself as someone who will provide solutions or fulfill that role. I believe the greatest way a comedian can give comfort is through laughter, so I am trying to insert a little bit of laughter into the participants' moments of relaxation."
PD Lee So-jin also expressed admiration for Ko So-young's eloquence, saying, "What surprised me during filming was that Ko So-young really speaks well. She empathizes wonderfully and is very focused with good memory. She picks up on even the subtle comments they drop as they pass by, and seeing her listening attentively made me wonder why she didn't have a 'Ko So-young Show' earlier. I also realized why Dr. O Eun-young is Dr. O Eun-young, as I learned a lot, and the participants seemed to cry and receive substantial support."
Dr. O Eun-young, who took on a challenge in outdoor entertainment for the first time, conveyed, "I've had many thoughts on what I can do for these individuals, and after spending two days and one night together, they gave me so much in return. It has been a precious time for me to briefly set aside my busy life."
Regarding the positive aspects of this program, Dr. O Eun-young stated, "Our lives are not always happy. And even when we do our best, if we live diligently, there can be moments of despair that come unexpectedly and things that I cannot handle arise. Those are things that life cannot prevent. These challenges can hit us suddenly, and if we can truly discuss and share our hearts with someone at that moment, it seems that even if there are no immediate solutions, it would be helpful. And no matter how difficult life is, I believe it's important to remember that life is still meaningful."
Furthermore, PD Lee So-jin opened up about the criteria for recruiting participants. This PD stated, "First of all, we released an advertisement saying that Dr. O Eun-young will participate for two days and one night, and within a few days, we received over a thousand stories. We try to face each one to listen to their experiences and make selections. Just looking at them in writing doesn’t reveal the stories they carry, nor their pains; we must meet them to understand. The production team is trying to meet each one and listen to their stories as time allows. We deeply consider what sincerity their stories can provide and what comfort they might receive, having intense discussions about it."
Currently, many counseling programs are gaining popularity on television. When asked what differentiates this program from other counseling broadcasts, the PD stated, "We captured the very natural presence of the doctor on camera, and the fact that Ko So-young is participating for the first time in entertainment could be a key differentiator. Additionally, within the chemistry between the two, there’s Moon Se-yoon, who serves as the sesame oil in bibimbap. Our program seems to be one that revolves around togetherness, rather than offering individual counseling. Each one has different stories, and the production team felt how much strength comes from comforting each other."
Dr. O Eun-young's trademark 'lion's mane' is also said to be set aside, as previously disclosed in press materials. When asked if viewers could see a natural side of Dr. O Eun-young, she replied, "It’s a bit embarrassing. Exploring the outside for two days and one night with the production team, family, and doing overnight stays is quite new for me. Honestly, I find it good. It feels good to be out. You will be able to see a new hairstyle that hasn’t been seen on broadcast before. We also strive to present our best selves when the show airs, but 'O Eun-young Stay' is a program where I decided to become part of nature, so you will see a natural side of me."
Finally, PD Lee So-jin shared her determination ahead of the broadcast, mentioning, "A phrase we often repeated while preparing together was, 'It feels more like we're not just preparing for a broadcast but genuinely becoming the stay’s operation team.' That shows how genuinely we care about the participants, thinking about what they like and what comfort they might receive. We cried during filming too. I sincerely hope that the participants can live well as they leave and that many of them will apply to join us."
Meanwhile, MBN 'O Eun-young Stay' is set to premiere today, at 9:10 p.m.
[Photo] MBN 'O Eun-young Stay'
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