Welcome, First Time in Korea? (Korean: 어서와~ 한국은 처음이지?) is a South Korean television show that airs on MBC every1. The show is in a reality television-travel show format and first aired on June 1, 2017.[1][2][3] Each trip features a foreigner living in South Korea who invites three friends from their home country to travel to South Korea for the first time. The trips typically follow the format of the three friends traveling on their own for the first two days, followed by a two-day special tour organized by the hosting foreigner. Episodes also include concurrent commentary from a panel of hosts, together with the guest whose friends are featured.
| Welcome, First Time in Korea? | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Genre | Travel, Reality |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | Season 1: 33 Season 2: ongoing |
| Production | |
| Production location | South Korea |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Original release | |
| Network | MBC every1 |
| Release | June 1, 2017 – present |
In April 2020, the show changed to a "Living in Korea" special format due to travel restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they promised to return to the original concept once the world is able to comfortably travel abroad again. The revised format is similar to I Live Alone and My Neighbour, Charles, introducing the daily life and experiences of foreigners residing in Korea.
In July 2022, the show was rebooted to its original format as travel restrictions eased, allowing foreigners to easily visit South Korea again.
Hosts
edit| Main Hosts | |
|---|---|
| Kim Jun-hyun | June 1, 2017 – July 1, 2021 July 7, 2022 – present |
| Lee Hyun-yi | July 7, 2022 – present |
| Alberto Mondi | June 1, 2017 – present |
| Former Hosts | |
|---|---|
| Shin A-young | June 1, 2017 – October 22, 2020 |
| DinDin | June 1, 2017 – July 1, 2021 |
| Park Ji-min | October 29, 2020 – July 1, 2021 |
| Do Kyung-wan | July 8, 2021 – June 30, 2022 |
| Jang Do-yeon | September 2, 2021 – June 30, 2022 |
Special hosts
edit- Mina Fujii (September 28 – October 12, 2017)
- Christian Burgos (July 5 – July 26, 2018 / April 13 - April 20, 2023)
- Jo Seung-yeon (September 27 – October 18, 2018)
- Byul (April 11 – May 2, 2019)
- Sujan Shakya (September 5 – September 26, 2019)
- Daniel Lindemann (July 7 – August 4, 2022 / March 2 - March 23, 2023)
- Sam Hammington (August 24 - September 7, 2023)
- "Lucky" Abhishek Gupta (August 22 - August 29, 2024)
"Vilppu's Diner" Special
- Kim Min-kyung (July 8 – August 26, 2021)
- Hong Ji-yoon (July 8 – August 26, 2021)
- Leo Ranta (August 5 – August 19, 2021)
"Talking Show" Special
- Joy Albright (September 19, 2024)
List of episodes
editPilot (June 1–15, 2017)
edit| Episode | Broadcast date | Guest | Friends | Guest and friends' nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 1, 2017 | Alberto Mondi | Luca Bertho, Federico Minto, Francesco Pietro Bonn | Italy |
| 2 | June 8, 2017 | |||
| 3 | June 15, 2017 |
Season 1 (July 27, 2017 – March 8, 2018)
edit| Episode | Broadcast date | Guest | Friends | Guest and friends' nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 27, 2017 | Christian Burgos | Andrei Felice Salvador Salguelo, Christopher Gonzalez, Pablo Ivana Castillo Soto | Mexico |
| 2 | August 3, 2017 | |||
| 3 | August 10, 2017 | |||
| 4 | August 17, 2017 | |||
| 5 | August 24, 2017 | Daniel Lindemann | Daniel Heidelberg, Mario Basur Poor, Peter Persich | Germany |
| 6 | August 31, 2017 | |||
| 7 | September 7, 2017 | |||
| 8 | September 14, 2017 | |||
| 9 | September 21, 2017 | |||
| 10 | September 28, 2017 | Yudina Svetlana | Regina, Anastasia, Elena | Russia |
| 11 | October 5, 2017 | |||
| 12 | October 12, 2017 | |||
| 13 | October 19, 2017 | "Lucky" Abhishek Gupta | Bikram, Shashank, Kashif | India |
| 14 | October 26, 2017 | |||
| 15 | November 2, 2017 | |||
| 16 | November 9, 2017 | |||
| 17 | November 16, 2017 | Petri Kalliola | Ville, Vilppu, Sami | Finland |
| 18 | November 23, 2017 | |||
| 19 | November 30, 2017 | |||
| 20 | December 7, 2017 | |||
| 21 | December 14, 2017 | Robin Deiana | Viktor, Marvin, Martin | France |
| 22 | December 21, 2017 | |||
| 23 | December 28, 2017 | |||
| 24 | January 4, 2018 | |||
| 25 | January 11, 2018 | James Hooper | David, Simon, Andrew | United Kingdom |
| 26 | January 18, 2018 | |||
| 27 | January 25, 2018 | |||
| 28 | February 1, 2018 | |||
| 29 | February 8, 2018 | Alberto Mondi
Christian Burgos Daniel Lindemann "Lucky" Abhishek Gupta |
"Welcome, Second Time in Korea?" – Jeju Island Special
Luca Bertho, Federico Minto, Francesco Pietro Bonn Andrei Felice Salvador Salguelo, Christopher Gonzalez, Pablo Ivana Castillo Soto Daniel Heidelberg, Peter Persich Bikram, Shashank, Kashif |
Italy Mexico Germany India |
| 30 | February 15, 2018 | |||
| 31 | February 22, 2018 | |||
| 32 | March 1, 2018 | |||
| 33 | March 8, 2018 |
Season 2 (May 10, 2018 – Present)
edit| Episode | Broadcast date | Guest | Friends | Guest and friends' nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 10, 2018 | Jang Min | Asael, Antonio, Neftali | Spain |
| 2 | May 17, 2018 | |||
| 3 | May 24, 2018 | |||
| 4 | May 31, 2018 | |||
| 5 | June 7, 2018 | Alex Mazzucchelli | Alessandro, Samuel, Anthony | Switzerland |
| 6 | June 14, 2018 | |||
| 7 | June 21, 2018 | |||
| 8 | June 28, 2018 | |||
| 9 | July 5, 2018 | Abigail Alderete | Veronica, Diana, Sylvia | Paraguay |
| 10 | July 12, 2018 | |||
| 11 | July 19, 2018 | |||
| 12 | July 26, 2018 | |||
| 13 | August 2, 2018 | Sujan Shakya | Anoj, Rina, Eliza, Shyam | Nepal |
| 14 | August 9, 2018 | |||
| 15 | August 16, 2018 | |||
| 16[a] | August 23, 2018 | |||
| 17 | August 30, 2018 | Lee Dong Jun | William Reese, Brian Mills, Robert Wood | United States |
| 18 | September 6, 2018 | |||
| 19 | September 13, 2018 | |||
| 20 | September 20, 2018 | |||
| 21 | September 27, 2018 | Sinasi Alpago | Mikail, Mert, Jihat | Turkey |
| 22 | October 4, 2018 | |||
| 23 | October 11, 2018 | |||
| 24 | October 18, 2018 | |||
| 25 | October 25, 2018 | Blair Williams | Mark, Meg, Kaitlin | Australia |
| 26 | November 1, 2018 | |||
| 27 | November 8, 2018 | |||
| 28 | November 15, 2018 | |||
| 29 | November 22, 2018 | Oumeima Fatih | Btissam Fatih, Maroua Brahimi, Asma Benbouzid | Morocco |
| 30 | November 29, 2018 | |||
| 31 | December 6, 2018 | |||
| 32 | December 13, 2018 | |||
| 33 | December 20, 2018 | Jakob Minell | Jakob, Viktor, Patrick | Sweden |
| 34 | December 27, 2018 | |||
| 35 | January 3, 2019 | |||
| 36 | January 10, 2019 | |||
| 37 | January 17, 2019 | Petri Kalliola | "Welcome, Second Time in Korea?" – Viewers' Tour Special
Ville, Vilppu, Sami |
Finland |
| 38 | January 24, 2019 | |||
| 39 | January 31, 2019 | |||
| 40 | February 7, 2019 | |||
| 41 | February 14, 2019 | Przemysław Kazimierz Krompiec | Ireneusz, Roberto, Karolina | Poland |
| 42 | February 21, 2019 | |||
| 43 | February 28, 2019 | |||
| 44 | March 7, 2019 | |||
| 45 | March 14, 2019 | Tatchara Longprasert | Ton, Green, Naveen | Thailand |
| 46 | March 21, 2019 | |||
| 47 | March 28, 2019 | |||
| 48 | April 4, 2019 | |||
| 49 | April 11, 2019 | Gerson Alejandro Castillo Rivas | Marjory, Soyeong, Jeongmi, Haram | Chile |
| 50 | April 18, 2019 | |||
| 51 | April 25, 2019 | |||
| 52 | May 2, 2019 | |||
| 53 | May 9, 2019 | Justin Harvey | Shaun, Char, Phumlani | South Africa |
| 54 | May 16, 2019 | |||
| 55 | May 23, 2019 | |||
| 56 | May 30, 2019 | |||
| 57 | June 6, 2019 | Yanick | Jasper, Rene, Michiel | Netherlands |
| 58 | June 13, 2019 | |||
| 59 | June 20, 2019 | |||
| 60 | June 27, 2019 | |||
| 61 | July 4, 2019 | David Woodworth | Darrin, Sam, Danny, Kyle | Canada |
| 62 | July 11, 2019 | |||
| 63 | July 18, 2019 | |||
| 64 | July 25, 2019 | |||
| 65 | August 1, 2019 | Blair Williams | "Couple Special"
Meg, Kait, John, Matt |
Australia |
| 66 | August 8, 2019 | |||
| 67 | August 15, 2019 | |||
| 68 | August 22, 2019 | |||
| 69 | August 29, 2019 | 5 Seconds of Summer | "5SOS Special" | Australia |
| 70 | September 5, 2019 | John & Mac | "Yo! Welcome To Korea, Kids~"
Ben, Harry, Jack, Georgina (Mom) |
United Kingdom (Wales) |
| 71 | September 12, 2019 | |||
| 72 | September 19, 2019 | |||
| 73 | September 26, 2019 | |||
| 74 | October 3, 2019 | Haakon | Eirik, Bode, Pablo | Norway |
| 75 | October 10, 2019 | |||
| 76 | October 17, 2019 | |||
| 77 | October 24, 2019 | |||
| 78 | October 31, 2019 | Neil Smith | Daniel, Dara, Barry | Ireland |
| 79 | November 7, 2019 | |||
| 80 | November 14, 2019 | |||
| 81 | November 21, 2019 | |||
| 82 | November 28, 2019 | Grace | Maribel, Aleida, Jose | Dominican Republic |
| 83 | December 5, 2019 | |||
| 84 | December 12, 2019 | |||
| 85 | December 19, 2019 | |||
| 86 | December 26, 2019 | Alaverdi | Emin, Murad, Ruslan | Azerbaijan |
| 87 | January 2, 2020 | |||
| 88 | January 9, 2020 | |||
| 89 | January 16, 2020 | |||
| 90 | January 23, 2020 | Christian | Bjorn, Anton, Asger | Denmark |
| 91 | January 30, 2020 | |||
| 92 | February 6, 2020 | |||
| 93 | February 13, 2020 | |||
| 94 | February 21, 2020 | Moses | Elbe, Breze, Fabrice | Rwanda |
| 95 | February 28, 2020 | |||
| 96 | March 3, 2020 | |||
| 97 | March 12, 2020 | |||
| 98 | March 20, 2020 | Julian Quintart | Olivier Conrardy, Ulysse, Jon Jon, Olivier Jourdain | Belgium |
| 99 | March 26, 2020 | |||
| 100 | April 2, 2020 | |||
| 101 | April 9, 2020 |
"Living in Korea" Special
editThe show's format changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of having foreigners travel to Korea, the guests are foreigners already living in the country who show aspects of their daily life and experiences in Korea.
| Episode | Broadcast date | Segment guests | Theme / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102 | April 16, 2020 | Sissel (Denmark), Christian Burgos (Mexico), Chris Johnson (U.S.) | |
| 103 | April 23, 2020 | Greg (U.S.), Karl Wayne (U.S.), Chris Johnson (U.S.) | |
| 104 | April 30, 2020 | Philip Hellquist (Sweden) & Armin Mujakic (Austria) (of Chungnam Asan FC), Andreas (Greece) | Guest host: Christian Burgos
Mujakic is absent from the studio panel |
| 105 | May 7, 2020 | Justin Harvey (South Africa), Pierce Conran (Ireland) | Guest host: Andreas
Special appearance by Darcy Paquet |
| 106 | May 14, 2020 | Justin Harvey (South Africa), Lucky (India) | Guest host: Andreas |
| 107 | May 21, 2020 | David & Stephanie Rowe[b] (U.S.), Chris Johnson (U.S.) | Guest host: Christian Burgos |
| 108 | May 28, 2020 | Armin Mujakic (Austria) & Philip Hellquist (Sweden), Alessandro (Spain) | Guest host: Jang Min
Philip is absent from the studio panel |
| 109 | June 4, 2020 | Jonathan Prout (U.S.), Matthew Douma (Canada) | Guest host: Ilya Belyakov |
| 110 | June 11, 2020 | Steven (Netherlands), Andreas (Greece) & Justin (South Africa) | |
| 111 | June 18, 2020 | Maxim (Russia), Blair (Australia) | Guest host: Tyler Rasch |
| 112 | June 25, 2020 | David & Stephanie Rowe (U.S.) | Guest hosts: Jang Min & Ilya Belyakov |
| 113 | July 2, 2020 | Armin Mujakic (Austria) & Philip Hellquist (Sweden), Gerson (Chile) | |
| 114 | July 9, 2020 | Anton (Sweden), Andreas (Greece) & Justin (South Africa) | Special look into IKEA Korea office (Anton) |
| 115 | July 16, 2020 | Fabien (France), David & Stephanie Rowe (U.S.) | Guest host: Jo Seung-yeon
Fabien attempts the Korean History Proficiency Test |
| 116 | July 23, 2020 | Daniel Tudor (UK), David & Stephanie Rowe (U.S.) | Guest hosts: Christian Burgos, Chris Johnson[c]
David is absent from the studio panel |
| 117 | July 30, 2020 | Greg (U.S.), David & Stephanie Rowe (U.S.) | Guest host: Young Tak |
| 118 | August 6, 2020 | Paolo (Italy), Ivan (Italy) | Guest host: Irene |
| 119 | August 13, 2020 | Joseph (Germany), Chris Johnson (U.S.) | Guest host: Daniel Lindemann
Special look into KAIST research facility (Joseph) & special appearance by Andreas (Chris) |
| 120 | August 20, 2020 | Soledad & Florencia (Argentina) | Guest host: Christian Burgos |
| 121 | August 27, 2020 | Jonathan Prout (U.S.), David Gerry (U.S.) | Guest host: Han Hyun-min |
| 122 | September 3, 2020 | Armin Mujakic (Austria), Philip Hellquist (Sweden) & Bruno (Brazil) | |
| 123 | September 10, 2020 | Pierce Conran (Ireland) with Jason (UK), Marc (Canada) & Patrick (U.S.) | "Korean Film Tour"[d]
Guest hosts: Ju Seong-chul (ep. 123-124), Ilya Belyakov (ep. 123), Kim So-hye (ep. 124) Only Pierce is present on the studio panel |
| 124 | September 17, 2020 | ||
| 125 | September 24, 2020 | Allen (Norway) & Milla (Finland), Victoire (France) | |
| 126 | October 1, 2020 | Paolo (Italy), Jeannie (U.S.) | Guest host: Chris Johnson |
| 127 | October 8, 2020 | Fabian, Alvaro & Asier (Spain) | "Daebu-do Tour"
Guest host: Alejandro Only Fabian is present on the studio panel |
| 128 | October 15, 2020 | Jason (UK) & Patrick (U.S.), Brendan (U.S.) | |
| 129 | October 22, 2020 | Jason Boutte (U.S.)
(CEO of food delivery service Shuttle) |
Guest host: Christian Burgos
Last episode for main host Shin A-young |
| 130 | October 29, 2020 | Hoermann (France), Jonathan Prout (U.S.) | Guest host: Chris Johnson
First episode for main host Park Ji-min Special look into LG Electronics head office (Hoermann) |
| 131 | November 5, 2020 | James Hooper (UK) with Alberto, Paolo (Italy) & Eugene (Moldova) | "Human-Powered Danyang Tour"[e]
Guest host: Christian Burgos Eugene is absent from the studio panel |
| 132 | November 12, 2020 | Vilppu (Finland) | Guest hosts: Christian Burgos, Leo Ranta
Newlywed Vilppu returns to Korea with his Korean wife to visit her family |
| 133 | November 19, 2020 | Graham Nelson (UK), Vilppu[f] (Finland) | Guest hosts: James Hooper, Ekaterina
Special look into the British Embassy (Graham), with special appearance by Ban Ki-moon |
| 134 | November 26, 2020 | Andreas (Greece) & Justin (South Africa), Fabrizio Ferrari (Italy) | |
| 135 | December 3, 2020 | Fabrizio Ferrari (Italy) | Guest host: Paolo
Special appearance by Baek Jong-won |
| 136 | December 10, 2020 | Vilppu with Leo & Jouni (Finland) | "A Special Trip to Andong"
Vilppu visits the ancestral hometown of his wife's family; Jouni is absent from the studio panel |
| 137 | December 17, 2020 | David & Stephanie Rowe (U.S.) | "Trip to Jeongeup"
Guest hosts: James Hooper, Christian Burgos |
| 138 | December 24, 2020 | Michael Ebbesen (Denmark)
(General Manager of Lego Korea) |
Guest hosts: David Rowe, Christian Burgos
Special look into Lego Korea office |
| 139 | December 31, 2020 | Jason (UK) & Patrick (U.S.), Ekaterina[g] (Russia) | Guest hosts: Graham Nelson, James Hooper |
| 140[h] | January 7, 2021 | Vilppu (Finland) | "Ten Flavours of Daegu" Tour (Vilppu)
Guest hosts: Kim Min-kyung, Leo Ranta[i] Vilppu is absent from the studio panel |
| 141[j] | January 14, 2021 | David & Stephanie Rowe (U.S.), Vilppu (Finland) | |
| 142 | January 21, 2021 | David & Stephanie Rowe (U.S.) | "Trip to Gochang"
Guest host: Eva Popiel Stephanie appears on the studio panel for the first time, in place of her husband |
| 143 | January 28, 2021 | Vilppu (Finland) | Guest hosts: Leo Ranta,[k] Christian Burgos
Vilppu's last day in Korea before returning to Finland with his wife; he is absent from the studio panel |
| 144 | February 4, 2021 | Julien Horvilleur (France)
(General Manager of L'Oréal Professionnel Korea) |
Guest host: Aurelien Loubert
Special look into L'Oréal Korea office Episode ends with footage from Vilppu in Finland |
| 145 | February 11, 2021 | Eoin Stanley (Ireland), Jonathan Prout (U.S.) | Guest host: Lucky |
| 146 | February 18, 2021 | Paolo (Italy) with Steven (U.S.) & Eugene (Moldova) | "Trip to Pyeongchang"
Eugene is absent from the studio panel |
| 147 | February 25, 2021 | David & Stephanie Rowe(U.S.) | Guest host: Petri Kalliola |
| 148[l] | March 4, 2021 | Katy (Austria), Fabien (France) | Guest host: Paolo[m]
Fabien challenges himself to create a Korean font; Katy is absent from the studio panel |
| 149 | March 11, 2021 | Fabien (France), Dustin Nippert (U.S.) | Guest host: Petri Kalliola |
| 150 | March 18, 2021 | Brad Little (U.S.)
(Musical actor and cast of Cats) |
Guest host: Hong Ji-min
Exclusive look behind the scenes of the Cats musical production |
| 151 | March 25, 2021 | Peter (UK), Sushant (India) | Guest host: Christian Burgos
Special look into Liverpool FC International Academy Korea (Peter) and International Vaccine Institute headquarters (Sushant) |
| 152 | April 1, 2021 | Joseph Lidgerwood (Australia) | Guest host: Fabrizio Ferrari |
| 153 | April 8, 2021 | Theo Agate, Alexandre Blin & Alexandre Artemenko (France)
(Musical actors and cast of Les Misérables) |
"Les Misérables French Actors' Trip"[n]
Guest hosts: Robin Deiana (ep. 153), Andreas (ep. 154), Christian Burgos (ep. 155) Artemeneko is absent from the studio panel |
| 154 | April 15, 2021 | ||
| 155 | April 22, 2021 | ||
| 156 | April 29, 2021 | James Hooper (UK) with Dustin Nippert, Jonathan Prout & David Rowe (U.S.) | "3 Peaks Challenge" Special[o]
Conquer the three tallest mountain peaks of Korea (Seoraksan, Jirisan, Hallasan) in 24 hours! Guest hosts: Um Hong-gil (ep. 156), Sean (ep. 158) |
| 157 | May 6, 2021 | ||
| 158 | May 13, 2021 | ||
| 159 | May 20, 2021 | ||
| 160 | May 27, 2021 | Joseph Lidgerwood (Australia), David & Stephanie Rowe (U.S.) | Guest host: Jonathan Prout[p]
David is absent from the studio panel |
| 161 | June 3, 2021 | Guest host: Chris Johnson | |
| 162 | June 10, 2021 | David & Stephanie Rowe (U.S.) | "Field Trip to Gangneung"
Guest hosts: Chris Johnson & Christian Burgos (ep. 162), Julian Quintart (ep. 163) |
| 163 | June 17, 2021 | ||
| 164 | June 24, 2021 | Andreas (Greece), David & Stephanie Rowe (U.S.) | Guest host: Christian Burgos |
| 165 | July 1, 2021 | Justin (South Africa), Andreas (Greece) and Dimitri (France) | "3 Peace Challenge"
Justin's unique spin-off of James Hooper's "3 Peaks Challenge" Dimitri is absent from the studio panel Last episode for main hosts Kim Jun-hyun, DinDin and Park Ji-min |
| 166[q] | July 8, 2021 | Petri Kalliola, Vilppu, Sami & Ville (Finland) | "Vilppu's Diner" Special
Our Finnish friends challenge their dream of opening a Korean cuisine restaurant! Guest hosts: Kim Min-kyung & Hong Ji-yoon (ep. 166-173), Leo Ranta (ep. 170-172) |
| 167 | July 15, 2021 | ||
| 168 | July 22, 2021 | ||
| 169 | July 29, 2021 | ||
| 170[r] | August 5, 2021 | ||
| 171 | August 12, 2021 | ||
| 172 | August 19, 2021 | ||
| 173[s] | August 26, 2021 | ||
| 174 | September 2, 2021 | David & Stephanie Rowe (U.S.) | Guest host: Jonathan Prout
First episode for main host Jang Do-yeon |
| 175 | September 9, 2021 | Aleksandr (Russia), Lea Moreau (France) | |
| 176 | September 16, 2021 | Justin (South Africa), Felix (UK) & Dimitri (France) | "Chuseok Cooking Challenge"
Dimitri is absent from the studio panel |
| 177 | September 24, 2021 | Aaron Cossrow (U.S.), Guillaume (France) | |
| 178 | September 30, 2021 | Alberto Mondi, Paolo & Teo (Italy) | "Alberto's Korean Noodle Road"
The Italian trio are in Gangwon-do to try all kinds of noodles Korea has to offer! |
| 179 | October 7, 2021 | Aaron Gall (U.S.), Kevin (France) | |
| 180 | October 14, 2021 | David & Stephanie Rowe (U.S.) | "Happy Oliver Day"
The Rowes celebrate Oliver's graduation from daycare to kindergarten |
| 181 | October 21, 2021 | ||
| 182 | October 28, 2021 | Austin Givens (U.S.)
(YouTuber, "Eating What is Given") |
|
| 183 | November 4, 2021 | Anupam Tripathi (India)
(Actor from Netflix series Squid Game) |
|
| 184 | November 11, 2021 | Joseph Lidgerwood (Australia) & David Rowe (U.S.) | |
| 185 | November 18, 2021 | Jonathan Prout (U.S.), Daniel Lindemann (Germany) & Alberto Mondi (Italy) | "Peace Tour in Cheorwon"
Jonathan visits historically significant places with his friends to see the lasting impact of the Korean War, which his grandfather fought in |
| 186 | November 25, 2021 | David & Stephanie Rowe (U.S.) | |
| 187 | December 2, 2021 | Alberto Mondi, Paolo & Teo (Italy) | |
| 188 | December 9, 2021 | James Hooper (UK) with Dustin Nippert, Jonathan Prout & David Rowe (U.S.) | "Wild Camping Trip"
The "3 Peaks Challenge" members reunite for another wild nature adventure in Soya-do Dustin Nippert & David Rowe are absent from the studio panel |
| 189 | December 16, 2021 | ||
| 190 | December 23, 2021 | Francinne & Luka (Brazil) | Francinne is absent from the studio panel
Episode ends with Christmas greeting videos from previous guests in their respective countries |
| 191 | December 30, 2021 | Austin Givens (U.S.), Teo (Italy) & Joseph Lidgerwood (Australia) | |
| 192 | January 6, 2022 | Andreas (Greece), Dimitri & Kevin (France) | "New Year Special"
Dimitri is absent from the studio panel |
| 193 | January 13, 2022 | Jonathan Groff (U.S.) | Guest host: Sean Lee
Jonathan trains with his friends for a Strongman competition |
| 194 | January 20, 2022 | Amar (Mongolia) & Adriana (Italy)[t] | |
| 195 | January 27, 2022 | Alberto Mondi (Italy), Christian Burgos (Mexico), Jonathan (Congo) & Sujan Shakya (Nepal) | "Seollal Special" |
| 196 | February 3, 2022 | Nataly Borges (Brazil)
(Vice President of Oriental Brewery) |
|
| 197 | February 10, 2022 | Austin Givens (U.S.), Teo (Italy) & Joseph Lidgerwood (Australia) | Joseph is absent from the studio panel |
| 198 | February 17, 2022 | Brandon (U.S.), Irene (Spain) | Guest host: Christian Burgos[u] |
| 199 | February 24, 2022 | Felix (UK), Daniel Lindemann (Germany) & Alberto Mondi (Italy) | |
| 200 | March 3, 2022 | Chambo (Australia) and Sarah (U.S.) | |
| 201 | March 10, 2022 | Julian Quintart (Belgium), Przem (Poland), Ilya (Russia) and Zahid Hussain (Pakistan) | |
| 202 | March 17, 2022 | Guillaume Patry (Canada), Jeremy (France) and Alejandro (Mexico) | Guest host: Ke Sung Anderson
Only Jeremy is present on the studio panel |
| 203 | March 24, 2022 | Rodrigo (Brazil), Chris (South Africa) | |
| 204 | March 31, 2022 | David Buchanan (U.S.)(Pitcher for Samsung Lions) | Guest host: Ashley (David's wife), Kevin Dockry
David is absent from the studio panel |
| 205 | April 7, 2022 | Oskar Zijlmans (Sweden) | Guest host: Daniel (Norway), Klara (Sweden) |
| 206 | April 14, 2022 | David & Stephanie Rowe (U.S.) | |
| 207 | April 21, 2022 | Omari Spellman (of Anyang KGC) (U.S.), Zeno Slamet (South Africa) | Guest host: Lee Seung-Jun
Omari Spellman is absent from the studio panel |
| 208 | April 28, 2022 | David Buchanan (U.S.)(Pitcher for Samsung Lions) | Guest host: Ashley (David's wife), Kevin Dockry
David is absent from the studio panel |
| 209 | May 5, 2022 | David & Stephanie Rowe (U.S.) | "Children's Day Special"Guest host: Chris Johnson
The Rowes are absent from the studio panel |
| 210 | May 12, 2022 | Anna (Poland) | |
| 211 | May 19, 2022 | David & Stephanie Rowe (U.S.) | Guest host: Chris Johnson
The Rowes are absent from the studio panel |
| 212 | May 26, 2022 | Guillaume Patry (Canada), Alberto Mondi (Italy), Sujan Shakya (Nepal) & Daniel Lindemann (Germany) | |
| 213 | June 2, 2022 | Clovis and Max (France), James (U.S.) | |
| 214 | June 9, 2022 | Jonathan Prout (U.S.) | |
| 215 | June 16, 2022 | Oskar Zijlmans (Sweden) | Guest host: Alicia, Marcus, Klara. |
| 216 | June 23, 2022 | Anna (Poland) | Guest host: Ke Sung Anderson |
| 217 | June 30, 2022 | Alberto Mondi, Paolo (Italy) and Felix (UK) | Final episode of the "Living in Korea" special format
Final episode for hosts Do Kyung-wan and Jang Do-yeon |
Reboot
editAs government regulations on entry into South Korea and on-arrival quarantine eased in 2022, the show was able to return to its original premise of foreigners visiting the country for the first time. This reboot of the original concept started airing from July 2022, with host Kim Jun-hyun returning to the studio panel alongside with new host Lee Hyun-yi.
| Episode | Broadcast date | Guest | Friends | Guest and friends' nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 218 | July 7, 2022 | Florian Krapf | Wolfgang, Lucas, Felix | Germany |
| 219 | July 14, 2022 | |||
| 220 | July 21, 2022 | |||
| 221 | July 28, 2022 | |||
| 222 | August 4, 2022 | |||
| 223 | August 11, 2022 | Samy Rashad | Mohamed, Tarek, Ahmed | Egypt |
| 224 | August 18, 2022 | |||
| 225 | August 25, 2022 | |||
| 226 | September 1, 2022 | |||
| 227 | September 8, 2022 | Martin | Lucas, Manuel, Miguel | Argentina |
| 228 | September 15, 2022 | |||
| 229 | September 22, 2022 | |||
| 230 | September 29, 2022 | |||
| 231 | October 6, 2022 | Andy | Steve, Richard, David | New Zealand |
| 232 | October 13, 2022 | |||
| 233 | October 20, 2022 | |||
| 234 | October 27, 2022 | |||
| 235 | November 3, 2022 | |||
| 236 | November 10, 2022 | Cady | Astrid, Mia, Lucia | Austria |
| 237 | November 17, 2022 | |||
| 238 | November 24, 2022 | |||
| 239 | December 1, 2022 | David | Joel, Emil, Aleksander | Sweden |
| 240 | December 8, 2022 | |||
| 241 | December 15, 2022 | |||
| 242 | December 22, 2022 | |||
| 243 | December 29, 2022 | |||
| 244 | January 5, 2023 | Fabrizio Ferrari | Pierre, Nicola, Lele | Italy |
| 245 | January 12, 2023 | |||
| 246 | January 19, 2023 | |||
| 247 | January 26, 2023 | |||
| 248 | February 2, 2023 | Evan | Alexander, Ian, Augustin (Augi) | Canada |
| 249 | February 9, 2023 | |||
| 250 | February 16, 2023 | |||
| 251 | February 23, 2023 | |||
| 252 | March 2, 2023 | Tim | Lee, Kevin (Kev), Robbie | United Kingdom |
| 253 | March 9, 2023 | |||
| 254 | March 16, 2023 | |||
| 255 | March 23, 2023 | |||
| 256 | March 30, 2023 | Jorge | Mark, Joan, Ruben | Spain |
| 257 | April 6, 2023 | |||
| 258 | April 13, 2023 | |||
| 259 | April 20, 2023 | |||
| 260 | April 27, 2023 | Philipp | Greggo, Lucas, Georg | Switzerland |
| 261 | May 4, 2023 | |||
| 262 | May 11, 2023 | |||
| 263 | May 18, 2023 | |||
| 264 | May 25, 2023 | Christian Burgos | Marcello (Christian's Dad), Dario, Humberto, Luiz | Mexico |
| 265 | June 1, 2023 | |||
| 266 | June 8, 2023 | |||
| 267 | June 15, 2023 | |||
| 268 | June 22, 2023 | Andy | Neville (Dad), Fiona (Mom), Steve, Richard, David | New Zealand |
| 269 | June 29, 2023 | |||
| 270 | July 6, 2023 | |||
| 271 | July 13, 2023 | |||
| 272 | July 20, 2023 | |||
| 273 | July 27, 2023 | David O'Serlivan | Kevin, Ciaran, James | Ireland |
| 274 | August 3, 2023 | |||
| 275 | August 10, 2023 | |||
| 276 | August 17, 2023 | |||
| 277 | August 24, 2023 | John & Mac | "Welcome back, Three Wales Brothers!"
Ben, Harry, Jack, Georgina (Mom) |
United Kingdom (Wales) |
| 278 | August 31, 2023 | |||
| 279 | September 7, 2023 | |||
| 280 | September 14, 2023 | Abaillo | Flamen, Tihomir, Zulatco | Bulgaria |
| 281 | September 21, 2023 | |||
| 282 | September 28, 2023 | |||
| 283 | October 5, 2023 | |||
| 284 | October 12, 2023 | Daniel | Gabriel, Lafael, Mikael | Brazil |
| 285 | October 19, 2023 | |||
| 286 | October 26, 2023 | |||
| 287 | November 2, 2023 | |||
| 288 | November 9, 2023 | |||
| 289 | November 16, 2023 | Forpirio Family | Forpirio (Forpi), Elmer, Forpi Jr. | Bolivia |
| 290 | November 23, 2023 | |||
| 291 | November 30, 2023 | |||
| 292 | December 7, 2023 | |||
| 293 | December 14, 2023 | Joy Albright | Chris Merolla, Adrian Gonjalles | United States |
| 294 | December 21, 2023 | |||
| 295 | December 28, 2023 | |||
| 296 | January 4, 2024 | |||
| 297 | January 11, 2024 | Sam Ryder | "Sam Ryder Special"
Sam Ryder, Louis Nelsen, Carlin Smith |
United Kingdom |
| 298 | January 18, 2024 | Naden | Josese, Joseba, Joshua | Fiji |
| 299 | January 25, 2024 | |||
| 300 | February 1, 2024 | |||
| 301 | February 8, 2024 | |||
| 302 | February 15, 2024 | Lasmus | William, Yulius, Felix | Denmark |
| 303 | February 22, 2024 | |||
| 304 | February 29, 2024 | |||
| 305 | March 7, 2024 | |||
| 306 | March 14, 2024 | |||
| 307 | March 28, 2024[v] | Francesco | Federico Revolde, Danielle Fane | Italy |
| 308 | April 4, 2024 | |||
| 309 | April 11, 2024 | |||
| 310 | April 18, 2024 | |||
| 311 | April 25, 2024 | Kani | Jeremie, Timothe, Alexis | France |
| 312 | May 2, 2024 | |||
| 313 | May 9, 2024 | |||
| 314 | May 16, 2024 | |||
| 315 | May 23, 2024 | |||
| 316 | May 30, 2024 | Tommy | David, Lenato, Richard | Hungary |
| 317 | June 6, 2024 | |||
| 318 | June 13, 2024 | |||
| 319 | June 20, 2024 | |||
| 320 | June 27, 2024 | Alexandros Jang | Christos, Harris, Constantinos | Greece |
| 321 | July 4, 2024 | |||
| 322 | July 11, 2024 | |||
| 323 | July 18, 2024 | |||
| 324 | July 25, 2024 | Alan Walker | "Alan Walker Special"
Alan Walker, Robin Pakalen, Vikram Sing Ban (Vikkstar) |
Norway Finland United Kingdom |
| 325 | August 1, 2024 | Benedict | Chris, Adrian, Aleandro | Malta |
| 326 | August 8, 2024 | |||
| 327 | August 15, 2024 | |||
| 328 | August 22, 2024 | |||
| 329 | August 29, 2024 | |||
| 330 | September 5, 2024 | "Eating Taxi" Special
Pernando & Talia, Hailey, Will Hyde & Jonadan |
Spain & Mexico United States Australia | |
| 331 | September 12, 2024 | |||
| 332 | September 19, 2024 | "Talking Show" Special
Nicolas & Matias, Matthew & Adrian |
Germany (United States) United Kingdom & Brazil | |
| 333 | September 26, 2024 | Jin Sun-Kyu | Igor Pedroso, Luan Broom, J.B. Oliveira | Brazil |
| 334 | October 3, 2024 | |||
| 335 | October 10, 2024 | |||
| 336 | October 17, 2024 | |||
| 337 | October 24, 2024 | "Gimhae Travel" Special
Maejessi Alexi & Faolo Mendoja |
France & Peru | |
| 338 | October 31, 2024 | |||
| 339 | November 7, 2024 | Jacob | Daniel, Jakub, Phillip | Czech |
| 340 | November 14, 2024 | |||
| 341 | November 21, 2024 | |||
| 342 | November 28, 2024 |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 54th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Entertainment Program | Welcome, First Time in Korea? | Nominated | [4] |
| 2018 | 18th MBC Entertainment Awards | Special Entertainment Program | Welcome, First Time in Korea? | Won | [5] |
| 2019 | 55th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Entertainment Program | Welcome, First Time in Korea? | Nominated | [6] |
Notes
edit- ^ This episode was broadcast without the usual studio commentary, which was not filmed due to the passing of host Sujan Shakya's father.
- ^ David Rowe represents the Rowe family on the studio panel in episodes where they appear, except in episode 142.
- ^ Chris Johnson stood in on the studio panel for David Rowe, who was absent due to scheduling conflict with his military job.
- ^ These episodes introduce Pierce's friends who also live in Korea. The four plan their film-themed trip together, resembling the original show format before the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ^ James Hooper, who successfully travelled from the North Pole to the South Pole using only human and natural power in 2007, challenges his friends to a 26.8km tour of Danyang without using machine power such as cars. The course covers 17.1km by mountain bike, followed by 2.5km of standup paddleboarding and a final 7.2km marathon.
- ^ Vilppu's segment continues from the previous episode.
- ^ The studio panel for Ekaterina's segment was filmed together with episode 133, which featured Graham Nelson and James Hooper.
- ^ Alberto Mondi was absent from filming due to self-quarantine after visiting a COVID-19 hotspot.
- ^ Leo Ranta stood in on the studio panel for his friend Vilppu.
- ^ Alberto Mondi returns to filming after testing negative for COVID-19.
- ^ Leo Ranta stood in on the studio panel for his friend Vilppu.
- ^ DinDin was absent from filming due to scheduling conflict.
- ^ Paolo stood in on the studio panel for Katy, who attended the same university as him.
- ^ This trip marks the show's first return to the original concept of a foreigner's first trip to Korea since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the Les Misérables cast featured had not visited Korea previously.
- ^ James Hooper first mentioned this goal in episode 131. The ambitious project took 6 months of preparation, with James recruiting 3 fellow regular guests of the show as part of his team.
- ^ Jonathan Prout stood in on the studio panel for David Rowe.
- ^ First episode for main host Do Kyung-wan
- ^ Alberto Mondi was absent from filming for 3 episodes as he was under quarantine after coming in contact with a COVID-19 patient. Leo Ranta stood in as a guest host in his place.
- ^ Alberto Mondi returns to filming after completing his quarantine period safely.
- ^ Both previously appeared on episode 183 as friends of actor Anupam Tripathi.
- ^ Christian Burgos stood in for Alberto Mondi, who was absent due to self-quarantine after coming into close contact with a COVID-19 patient.
- ^ This episode closed week later.
References
edit- ^ "'Welcome, first time in Korea?' confirmed the regular program". HaB Korea. June 16, 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-01-12. Retrieved 2018-01-12.
- ^ Doo, Rumy (September 24, 2017). "TV shows give fresh insight into Korea through eyes of foreign visitors". Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 2018-01-12. Retrieved 2018-01-12.
- ^ Jin-hai, Park (September 20, 2017). "Foreigners' travel shows gaining popularity". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 2018-01-12. Retrieved 2018-01-12.
- ^ "제54회 백상예술대상, TV·영화 각 부문별 수상 후보자 공개". JTBC (in Korean). April 6, 2018. Archived from the original on April 9, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ "'어서와 한국은 처음이지' 특별상 수상 김준현 "자랑스럽다"". Naver (in Korean). Dec 29, 2018.
- ^ Kim, Joo-won (April 5, 2019). "'제55회 백상예술대상' 영화 부문 최종 후보 공개". Seoul Economy (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021 – via Naver.