"Abnormal Summit" PD Explains Why Takuya Was Replaced With Another Japanese Panelist

Produer Kim Hee Jung of “Abnormal Summit” clarified why Takuya was replaced with another Japanese panelist on the show.

Previously, the show explained that the six members of “Abnormal Summit” would be replaced with new members to “tell the stories of other countries.” They stated that there will be brand new countries to replace the members that will be leaving the show.

However, many questioned the show’s decision when Japanese representative Takuya was replaced with yet another Japanese member, Yuta, a trainee under SM Entertainment.

At the press conference for the show held on July 3, PD Kim Hee Jung explained why Japan was kept while other countries were changed.

“We thought about Japan until the end. Ultimately, we decided that Japan was necessary as the Korea-China-Japan relationship is very important in our society, and because we thought Japan was an important country in Asia.”

She further expressed her gratitude for Takuya, saying, “Regardless of the change, Takuya did really well to soften the negative attitude toward Japan. He’s reall kind. Takuya had a big part in our show.”

She also spoke about the new Japanese representative, Yuta. “When we were meeting with many people from many different countries, we met Yuta. We found him uniquely charming. We believed that the viewers would find him the same.”

Source: (1)