Na Yeong Seok (also known as Na PD or PD Na) is one of the most successful variety show producers in South Korea. He’s the man behind legendary shows such as 2 Days & 1 Night, New Journey to the West, Grandpas Over Flowers, and more.
One of his most recent programs was Jinny’s Kitchen (2023) which aired on tvN. It was a reality cooking show that followed the cast as they introduced Korean street food in a small town in Mexico.
It was the kind of show that was calming rather than exciting to watch. He had high expectations of it as he mentioned in an interview with Weverse Magazine. One reason for this was the cast members. They already had a high profile lineup—Park Seo Joon, Lee Seo Jin, Jung Yu Mi, Lee Won Il, and Park Woo Shik—but they also had a certified buzz-maker: BTS’s V.
Na PD had high expectations of the K-Pop idol. He was well aware of the kind of attention he could bring to the show especially considering that he rarely appears in variety shows outside of HYBE’s own.
We also had Taehyung, who I thought was a huge card. We had a stellar cast and a program that we knew worked so we thought that it had to succeed.
— Na PD
When planning out the show, he considered V’s relationship with his friend, actor Choi Woo Sik, to be another big draw.
It was the first time Taehyung and Woo Shik went abroad together, and we expected that the chemistry from their friendship could contribute to the show as well.
— Na PD
Unfortunately, Na PD was not satisfied with the success level of the show. He did not blame the cast at all. Rather, he realized that the competition for “healing shows” has become higher than ever.
But what I was mistaken was that this program was no longer the only one of its kind, without any competition…I thought we could make something unique.
— Na PD
The format of the show was its downfall in the end. It “disheartened” Na PD to be receiving criticism for something he was proud of, yet he was also thankful for the positive responses he received from other viewers.
The response was positive, too. It’s really hard to get that sort of rating these days. But I was criticized for repeating the same format, and I understood where they were coming from, so I was a bit disheartened.
— Na PD
Check out some of the best Jinny’s Kitchen moments below.
