Hometown Flex: Episode 10 in Jeonju Recap
On this episode of Hometown Flex, more surprises are in store for the Seoul bumpkins Lee Seung Gi and Cha Tae Hyun at the charming city of Jeonju. The hometown locals So Yi Hyun, Yoon Kyun Sang, and Defconn continue on a meaningful trip down memory lane bringing more fun, laughter, and delicious food. There is still so much more to discover on this nostalgic tour of Jeonju so let's begin!
The Tour of Jeonju Continues on Hometown Flex
Previously, the cast members divided up into separate teams to travel back in time on a memory tour to reconnect with the past. Defconn visited downtown and Wansan Park on his own while Yi Hyun and Kyun Sang went to their old schools accompanied by the Seoul bumpkins. It is now time for everyone to meet up for dinner.
The restaurant pick is a favorite of Defconn's mother that serves delicious Chinese-style cuisine including a unique Jeonju specialty, muljjajang (물짜장) which is like a hybrid of jjajang and jjamppong noodles.
Defconn's Local Food: Muljjajang & Jjamppong at SUNGJIN MYEONGA 성진면가
Everyone is feeling hungry after a long afternoon but of course production will not just feed the members so easily. For dinner, a game of relay charades will be played between Team Seoul vs Team Jeonju. Production allows them a taste of one dish from the menu as motivation before the game starts and they decide on jjamppong.
Seung Gi suggests playing the loyalty game to determine an order in which the members will get to eat. The order is as follows after rock paper scissors: Tae Hyun, Yi Hyun, Seung Gi, Defconn, and the last is Kyun Sang. Defconn teases the maknae (youngest member) Kyun Sang saying he may only get to look at the bowl since he is last.
The jjamppong arrives and everyone is marveling at the portion size and amount of seafood. Tae Hyun is the lucky person who gets to eat first and quickly scoops up a big portion. He deliciously slurps up the chewy noodles as the others watch on salivating. After tasting it, Tae Hyun assures that Kyun Sang will not get any as it is too good.
Yi Hyun gets to eat next and even grabs seconds after Seung Gi and Defconn tells her it is okay to eat as much as she wants. One cannot blame anyone for eating too much in the loyalty game. Meanwhile, Kyun Sang watches on with despair and wants them to stop encouraging her to eat more. After Tae Hyun grabs another portion, Seung Gi digs in and scoops up the rest of the noodles. The bowl is then passed over to Defconn who takes whatever is left. Kyun Sang is left with the remaining scraps but is content to at least get a taste of the broth.
After a taste, it is time to start the game and Team Seoul chooses the maknae PD from the crew to join their team. The 1st player sees the word and explains it to the 2nd player silently by using only actions. The 2nd player has to understand and explain it to the 3rd player by only speaking. If the 3rd player guesses the word correctly, the team earns a point. After two rounds, the team with the most points wins! The losers eat at the convenience store.
The category for Round 1 is "Food" and Team Seoul is up first with 3 minutes on the timer. Seung Gi gets flustered by the difficulty as he is the 1st player who has to act out the clues. In the end, Tae Hyun manages to guess 3 from the maknae PD's descriptions. Team Jeonju goes next and Kyun Sang comes up with gestures to indicate flying or swimming. It did not help much as the team also finishes with only 3 points tying the score at 3:3.
For Round 2, the category is "Movies" and an extra minute is added on the timer. Team Seoul gets a few answers easily in the beginning but the maknae PD's mind suddenly goes blank disrupting the flow. In the end, they collect another 3 points this round. Defconn jokes that they did pretty well considering the one in the middle (the PD) was a complete mess.
Kyun Sang displays impressive acting especially with his clue for Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Game helping to lead Team Jeonju to a quick 3 points to tie Team Seoul. They still have over a minute remaining on the timer for the potential win!
The next clue is Aladdin and Kyun Sang is impressive once again pointing to the color blue and rubbing a bottle to indicate magic lamp but Yi Hyun has no idea as she attempts to describe it to Defconn. Yi Hyun suddenly figures it out and has an a-ha moment but breaks down dying with laughter. Meanwhile, Defconn is trying to get her to keep talking so that he can guess. She cannot catch her breath from all of the laughter before trying to say, "lamp... and something comes out." Too late as the time runs out!
The Seoul bumpkins are overjoyed with Yi Hyun's breakdown. Kyun Sang is shocked saying he really did his best. Since it is a tie again, the main PD decides to let everyone eat together. They celebrate the group victory with high fives satisfied with the unintentional result.
A wonderful feast arrives at the table consisting of muljjajang, jjamppong, bibim makguksu (mixed cold buckwheat noodles), and bossam (boiled pork wraps). Tae Hyun says it is so nice to be able to eat together. Seung Gi agrees saying it is all thanks to Yi Hyun noona. They begin to enjoy the plentiful meal!
The Jeonju locals are hugely excited as it has been a while since they have last eaten muljjajang. For Tae Hyun, it is his first time even hearing about the dish. Seung Gi has never tried muljjajang before either as it is a unique dish that is not available in Seoul. The noodles are hand-pulled here and rinsed in both hot and cold water for a bouncy texture. A gravy sauce of meat and vegetables stir-fried in soy sauce and chili pepper flakes is then ladled over the noodles for the perfect combination. After a taste, Tae Hyun is in love exclaiming how delicious it is!
Kyun Sang finally gets to taste the smoky and spicy jjamppong noodles that he worked really hard for. After a taste of the broth earlier, he was really motivated to play the game to win. As expected, the noodles does not disappoint and Kyun Sang is completely satisfied. Defconn also focuses on the dish scooping out a large portion while saying how much he has missed it. He has eaten a lot of jjamppong in his life but the one here is on another level.
The members also enjoy the bibim makguksu with sweet and sour dried pollack and the tender bossam. Tae Hyun asks Seung Gi what his favorite dish is and he points to the jjamppong after some deliberation. Tae Hyun says his favorite is the muljjajang and Seung Gi acknowledges the dish as a game changer too. In the end, they agree that these two dishes are both really special and compliments the eomeoni (mother/ma'am) on the wonderful food.
They wrap up the delicious meal by adding rice to the leftover muljjajang sauce for a perfect ending. Yi Hyun jokes that she can drink at least two bottles of soju with this making everyone laugh. After the filling meal, it is time to get going for some much needed rest.
A Relaxing Night at Royal Room of King Hanok Hotel 왕의지밀
Upon arriving at their accommodations, Yi Hyun marvels at the elegance and beauty of the hanok hotel. This quiet and cozy hanok hotel is located on the outskirts of the city away from the tourist attractions with a beautiful view of the mountains and the stream.
The bumpkins are surprised to see some props on the grass next to where the camera crew is set up. Luckily, the things do not belong to production. Tae Hyun worried about having to play another game before bed and Defconn seeks confirmation about not having to sleep outside. The PD assures them they do not and tells them to arrive at the bench by 9am tomorrow. Defconn asks if it is a first come, first serve morning game but Tae Hyun tells him this is not a competition. Defconn laughs at himself saying it is a habit (from filming 2 Days & 1 Night). They thank one another for the good work today and say good night! The first day in Jeonju comes to an end.
Day 2 in Jeonju Starts with Morning Nonsense
Good morning! The members are all feeling rejuvenated after a good night's sleep. After greeting one another, Tae Hyun notices a coffee truck on-site. It turns out to be a gift from production team to the Seoul bumpkins and Jeonju locals who are working so hard under the blazing sun. They walk over to take a look at the menu and place orders for refreshing iced drinks to start the day.
While waiting for the drinks, the PD suddenly bursts out asking a nonsense quiz question without notice. Everyone is caught off guard and wants the question to be repeated. Defconn raises his hand and answers. Correct! He may now go pick up his drink. The rest are still flustered and compliments Defconn on his quick wit. There is no need to worry as there are more chances left. The second question is asked and everyone is thinking hard...
Defconn advises them to think like a kid as the nonsense quiz is very childish. After some thinking, Tae Hyun gets it and comes up with the answer. Correct! He hops and skips over to the coffee truck in celebration. Yi Hyun is still confused and asks if these are dad jokes. Seung Gi tells her it is nonsense puns, a play on words. He jokes about how only old people gets these while pointing to the two oldest hyungs who answered correctly first.
The third question is asked and Yi Hyun quickly raises her hand with the answer without giving the guys any extra time to think. Correct! She excitedly runs over to the coffee truck to claim her order of iced hibiscus tea. But at the truck, she laments to Tae Hyun that it actually does not feel all that nice since they are getting the answers correct from oldest to youngest. Tae Hyun bursts out laughing about how she suddenly feels old now.
Kyun Sang and Seung Gi comfort one another saying they are still too young to get these dad jokes and that there is no need to feel disappointed in themselves. However, Defconn teases the two saying the quiz is common sense knowledge and that the last person remaining is a pabo (idiot). Who will it be?
The next nonsense quiz is a difficult one: what is the color of "burgers" in Jeolla Province? After thinking for quite a while, they eventually pass. A new question is asked and Defconn says it is too easy. He scratches away at Seung Gi's pride teasing him for not knowing the answer. Seung Gi goes over the riddle out loud and gets the answer. He is correct! Finally! This is hilarious as the others laugh about how much the two have struggled.
Defconn suggests giving Kyun Sang another chance to win a drink. The PD goes back to the burger question that was skipped earlier and gives them a hint about local dialect. Defconn guesses it might have something to do with how the locals end their sentences with the "di" sound. Seung Gi says out loud "hamburger-di"... "burger-di"... oh? They all finally get it now and Kyun Sang shouts out the answer "burgundy!" Correct!
Now that the members have all earned their morning coffee, it is time to get going to start off the second day. They get in the car and the two biggest guys are in the front today with Defconn in the driver's seat. Defconn sulks about how he was forced to sit in the cramped third row yesterday while they could have all just sat together like this.
The next destination is Yi Hyun's pick, Deokjin Park, a must-visit spot in Jeonju!
So Yi Hyun's Local Attraction: Deokjin Park 덕진공원
Deokjin Park sits at the heart of the city center and is a top tourist attraction in Jeonju, where visitors can enjoy the beautiful lotus flowers. This is a nostalgic place for the locals who have visited often as kids along with their family. Seung Gi is amazed with the luscious greens and how well kept and clean the park is. They come across the large standing swing and Tae Hyun jumps on. Defconn gives the swing a hard push from behind but Tae Hyun is scared and yells at him to stop.
They continue to explore around the park and walk across the bridge spanning over the lotus pond. It would have been an incredible sight to see the entire pond filled with beautiful lotus flowers. Sadly, they just missed the bloom which happens around July-August. Seung Gi comments how Jeonju is the perfect city to visit when one needs to rejuvenate. Defconn says the city is healing as the people here move slowly and do not rush. This is Jeonju's own special vibe!
At the center of the lotus pond is a pavilion where the members stop to take a break. The park is like Seoul Forest, a spot where families can come to for picnics. Defconn adds that couples often come here for a walk but Tae Hyun teases him saying he probably has never been here on a date. Yi Hyun shares that she brought Gyo Jin here after getting married to take a photo together at the bridge. There is a belief that couples will live happily ever after.
The PD shares an old photo of the park. After staring at it, Tae Hyun thinks the person is Defconn and he confirms it is a photo of him from the late 80s during middle school. They joke about his taste in flashy clothing even back in the day. Yi Hyun is dying with laughter in disbelief the photo is of a middle school student. Kyun Sang says it is like a photo of his dad. Looking at the photo, they realize how much the park has changed as the metal bridge is gone. Kyun Sang fondly recalls how it would make a clanking sound when he ran across as a child.
Defconn wraps up and says, "let's go eat!" The restaurant choice is a place that Kyun Sang loves and is where his dad often brought him to. The main menu is cold soba which is the perfect dish on a hot day.
Yoon Kyun Sang's Local Food: Buckwheat Noodles at GEUMAM SOBA 금암소바
Upon arrival, the members are already concerned about not getting to eat. Everyone is really craving a taste of the cold soba so they decide to just order first. Kyun Sang suggests ordering a double portion of the soba and also the kongguksu (cold soybean soup). Yi Hyun decides for the table and wants 5 servings of soba plus 2 servings of the kongguksu, and an order of bibim soba to share. Seung Gi teases her for being a glutton but she says they should eat a lot since they are here.
Kyun Sang asks the Seoul bumpkins how they eat kongguksu, and Tae Hyun says he adds salt. The Jeonju locals quickly disagree and says sugar should be added. Kyun Sang argued a lot about this salt vs sugar matter when he first moved to Seoul. People in Jeonju add sugar which is the proper way!
The noodle dishes all arrive at the table! An assortment of bibim soba with a spicy sweet and sour sauce to mix in, cold soba with a refreshing dipping broth, and savory sweet cold soybean soup with soba. Rather than eating right away, they wait thinking a game needs to be played first. Tae Hyun complains with frustration asking to please just let them eat. But in an unexpected twist, the PD tells them to enjoy the meal. In disbelief, they all double and triple check to confirm that there are no strings attached. They happily shout out "thank you for the food" (I will eat well!) and proceed to dig in to the delicious noodles.
Tae Hyun tries the soba first and immediately puts down his chopsticks after a bite to hit Seung Gi on the shoulder with excitement. He rises from his seat exclaiming, "it is over, it is all over!" as his mind is blown with how delicious the soba and the broth is. Seung Gi tries the food next and slurps up the noodles. He is also amazed and says this is better than the famous places in Apgujeong. Defconn assures the soba here is different and that you cannot find this taste in Seoul. Instead of dipping, Defconn pours the entire bowl of cold broth into the noodles and takes a sip before inhaling an enormous amount of noodles at once.
Yi Hyun is completely satisfied, and tells Kyun Sang he picked the perfect dish to help cool them down. Kyun Sang is proud to see everyone enjoying the food so much and begins to slurp up the noodles that he has missed. This is the taste!! Everyone tries the bibim soba next which is equally delicious. Yi Hyun loves the scent of sesame oil and Seung Gi wonders what is in the tasty sauce. Next up is the savory kongguksu with sugar which also surprises the Seoul bumpkins who usually add salt. Tae Hyun chuckles to himself as the dish is really good with sugar.
Tae Hyun focuses on the best soba of his life but all he can think about while eating is how he can get this again in Seoul. The restaurant sadly does not have any special delivery options. Seung Gi reaches over to give Kyun Sang a fist bump of approval after clearing his bowl. The PD chimes in with how they have seen the bottom of the bowls a lot in Jeonju. Seung Gi remarks how UNESCO made the right choice (Jeonju is designated as a Creative City of Gastronomy). Meanwhile, Tae Hyun is busily texting his wife telling her that he will bring soba home. Defconn joke about Tae Hyun finding "Eureka!" Yes, he has!
Now that the members are all happily well fed, what is possibly in store for them next? Defconn will be guiding the members to the next course, Nanjang, a museum that will take you down memory lane.
Defconn's Local Attraction: Jeonju Nanjang 전주난장
Jeonju Nanjang is a museum that is set up by an individual who has collected memorabilia related to modern post-war Korean history for over 20 years. "Nanjang" is an old term for a mishmash pop-up marketplace that would only run for 3-4 days. They arrive and the place is huge with multiple old hanok homes connected to show the personal collection. The first room is an old classroom evoking feelings of nostalgia from childhood.
As they have already spent over 10 minutes looking around just one room, the PD tells them there are still over 70 rooms remaining. Even if they only spend 5 minutes per room, it will still take almost 6 hours to finish. The game to escape nostalgia begins! The winner of each round will get to return to the year 2020 which means they may leave for home. Round 1 is to flip the milk caps (Pogs). The object of the game is to blow at the stack of Pogs to flip over as many as possible. Whoever flips the most wins!
After a practice round, they start the challenge and agree that only pieces staying on the table will count. Seung Gi goes first and flips 6. Tae Hyun is next and flips 4. Yi Hyun is not joking around and manages to flip over 15 for the lead! Kyun Sang who has never played the game before flips none. Defconn goes last and Tae Hyun prevents him from cheating by straightening out the stack that looks like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In the end, he only flips 2. Yi Hyun is the lucky person who escapes first, congratulations!
Before leaving, Yi Hyun wraps up by saying it has been a fulfilling trip to return to her hometown Jeonju along with friends. To be able to feed them good food and show them nice places, and is also thankful for the chance to greet her former teacher again. Goodbye~
The real tour begins as the guys continue on passing rooms filled with nostalgic toys, magazines, and comics from their youth. The retro things are making them feel really excited. Next, they arrive at a room with old school arcade games like Tetris and Galaga. Round 2 to escape nostalgia is Tetris! They will take turns to play for 2 minutes. The person with the highest score wins. The key is to clear lines quickly for the bonus round.
Defconn plays first while the rest gathers around to watch just like how they did as kids in the past. He is quite bad at the game, messing up right away, and is cautious and slow. Seung Gi teases him from behind saying he is done for. He obtains a score of 2012. Frustrated, Defconn says they should have played Street Fighter instead.
Kyun Sang starts and is noticeably much faster. He easily passes Round 1 in just 19 seconds with a score already over 1600 that is adding up quickly with the bonus. The game is fun because he is so good at it. Kyun Sang smiles proudly as his hyungs praise him from behind. His final score is 9256, destroying Defconn's score.
Tae Hyun plays next and is precise just like his personality. He builds up waiting for a long piece to be able to clear 4 lines at once but makes a critical error dropping a piece that blocks it. Final score is 5707 so Kyun Sang is still in the lead. At this rate, the Seoul bumpkins might have to all stay behind.
Seung Gi is the last player and has a serious face on as if he is playing in the world championship. Like Tae Hyun, he also builds a big mass waiting for the long piece but makes a critical error. Blinded by his greed, the game ends and he does not beat the score. Kyun Sang is 1st place and successfully escapes!
Kyun Sang closes with saying how he was very nervous about whether or not he can do a good job introducing his hometown. Despite his worries, he felt touched and excited during this trip and had a lot of fun. Bye!
Meanwhile, the guys are sitting in a row still playing games at the arcade. The PD urges them to move along since there is still so much left to explore. Next, they are drawn by the music and enter the gogojang (1980s disco) room excitedly dancing to the beat. Round 3 to escape nostalgia is a game of dancing king! After a song is played, they must race to answer by dancing the signature move of the choreography on beat.
Seung Gi has 2 points and Defconn 1 after 3 songs, right on beat perfectly reenacting the signature dance moves. The 4th song is "Coming of Age Ceremony" by Park Ji Yoon and they come close but are wrong. Tae Hyun tries to answer for the first time and it becomes messy as they all fight to answer. The rule is changed where they will now just all dance together side by side and the PD will decide who is the most similar. With the arms reaching forward, Tae Hyun is correct on this one and earns his first point.
The dance songs continues, "Sorry, Sorry" by Super Junior, "Again & Again" by 2pm, and "Abracadabra" by Brown Eyed Girls. Tae Hyun is hopeless and lost in his own world. The battle is between Defconn and Seung Gi who can bust the right move. The two are tied with 3 points each while Tae Hyun is still stuck at 1, and is eliminated with no chance of winning. The final round is "TT" by Twice, and they all dance with excitement. Seung Gi is judged as the most accurate. Thanks to his military service where he watched their performance countless times.
The game is already over but they ask for more because it is so much fun. Three more songs are played and they amusingly dance to EXID, Momoland, and Rain. They are done, tired, and sweating profusely. Seung Gi is glad he lost at Tetris and got to play this game. Now honored with the title of dancing king, he successfully escapes!
With just the two of them remaining, Defconn and Tae Hyun laughs about it really being a nostalgic tour now. They stop for a break to have a iced cold drink while looking through some old magazines. Round 4 to escape is a book flipping game! Rules: pick a topic, flip to a page, and count the amount. The winner is best of 3.
For Round 1, the topic is shoes and Tae Hyun goes first determined to win. He flips to a page, and luckily gets one full of people. A total of 17 pairs! Defconn already feels defeated and sure enough, he flips to a page and there are only rollerblades. Tae Hyun leads 1:0. The magazine is switched for Round 2, and the topic is foreign actors. Good vibes are channeled before Defconn flips to a page but it did not work. Tae Hyun laughs hysterically as the page is revealed showing two Korean actors. Thinking hard, Tae Hyun flips to a page near the front and reveals a photo of the cast from Pearl Harbor. Game over! Tae Hyun wins 2:0 and successfully escapes!
Before leaving, Tae Hyun teases Defconn for being the star of the episode from beginning to end. Hometown Flex has sucked out his soul as Defconn laments. Tae Hyun takes a photo of the last man standing and departs without looking back saying good work, bye!
A familiar scene as Defconn is alone once again. It is a pitiful sight but he tries to remain positive after a refreshing spray of water from the misting fans. The friends have all left but there are still a lot of nostalgic memories to cover on the tour. He keeps walking and passes the military section, a haunted house, and even an old barbershop. The end is finally near as the exit is in sight...
But not so fast! A ping-pong table? The final round to escape is ping-pong! The opponent is 83-year-old Mrs. Jang Byung Soon, a former champion in elderly tournaments. As it will be difficult to beat her, Defconn only needs to get 5 points against her. Thinking it will be easy, Defconn says he can play leisurely and have fun. However, Mrs. Jang cutely provokes him with a smile and urges him to try to beat her.
Game begins! Mrs. Jang's demeanor changes completely and does not goof around but commits a few errors right away allowing Defconn to score. It is a close game at 4:3. Now that she is all warmed up, Mrs. Jang unleashes her skills and spins the ball like a pro. The score is now 8:3 as she hits the ball left and right toying with Defconn. Tired and sweating profusely, he is up against the wall in frustration. In the blink of an eye, the gap widens and the score is now 18:4. He begs her to go easy on him as he just needs one more point to go home.
It is the 23rd match, and feels very intense as they rally back and forth. Defconn is playing with everything he's got to finally go home. Mrs. Jang commits a mistake and hits the ball into the net. Defconn is ecstatic and screams out in celebration of his victory. He thanks the eomeoni and says good game. They give each other a fist bump and he wishes her good health. The final score is 18:5 and Defconn successfully escapes!
Defconn laments being left alone and wonders if his friends are all traveling back home nicely. He wraps up hoping the viewers will remember the city of style and decorum, the warm affection and plentiful food, as well as the bright smiles of the people here. That everyone will continue to make wonderful memories when they return to the city of Jeonju for a visit. The show ends with a shout-out to Hometown Flex! Until next time~
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