PD Na Young-seok recently opened up about the struggles of creating content in today’s “red ocean” market.
On the 18th, PD Na Young-seok appeared as a guest on the channel ‘Yoo Byung-jae’ to share his thoughts.
Yoo Byung-jae lamented that the current content market is far more unpredictable than it used to be. PD Na Young-seok strongly agreed, admitting, “Actually, I gave up on trying to predict things a long time ago.” He shared his honest feelings, adding, “We’ve reached a point where there’s no longer a right or wrong answer. From a creator’s perspective, it feels like we’re living through a very challenging era.”
Talking about his own production style, PD Na Young-seok joked, “I rely on my juniors a lot. I’m just continuing to do what I’ve always done.” He sparked laughter by adding, “You know how it is. I’m famous for sticking to my ways, like simmering a beef bone soup.” This was a self-deprecating nod to his signature style seen in hits like ‘New Journey to the West’, ‘Three Meals a Day’, ‘Youn’s Kitchen’, and ‘Kong Kong Pat Pat’, where he twists familiar formats to create stable humor and great chemistry. Instead of chasing new thrills, he describes his philosophy of deepening familiar fun as being like “beef bone soup.”
PD Na Young-seok also touched upon the difficulties of running a channel, saying, “I think a devil created this. Because of the way video rankings are displayed now, you end up competing with yourself and constantly trying to mimic content that performs well.” Yoo Byung-jae agreed, noting that while things were once predictable, they aren’t anymore. The two then shared their own tips for managing a channel.
From 2001 to 2012, PD Na Young-seok led the golden age of weekend variety shows as the general producer of KBS’s iconic ‘2 Days & 1 Night’. Now part of the production company Egg is Coming, he continues to be active in both directing and channel management.
