Happy Together Returns After Six Years With Yoo Jae-suk, Jang Hang-jun, Yoon Jong-shin and Lee Hyori

KBS2's Happy Together is returning after six years with a new project. The program, titled Happy Together: Good Because We Are Not Alone, will premiere on July 10 at 8:30 p.m.

The new show is a comeback project for Happy Together, the long-running KBS2 program that aired from 2001 to 2020 and was widely loved by viewers. This time, the format has been planned as a storytelling audition in which teams of participants present both music and the personal stories behind their performances.

Rather than operating as a simple music competition, the program is designed to spotlight the lives of its participants. There are no limits on age, genre or qualifications, and the stage is open to people who form a team, from singer groups to ordinary participants appearing together.

The show will be led by a three-MC system featuring Yoo Jae-suk, director Jang Hang-jun and Yoon Jong-shin. Together, they will review the participants' stages and stories while bringing different perspectives to the judging process: Yoo Jae-suk is expected to read people's hearts, Jang Hang-jun to capture the narratives, and Yoon Jong-shin to add musical depth.

The three MCs will be responsible for selecting the teams that advance to the final.

Ahead of the first broadcast, Yoo Jae-suk said his goal was for the show to become "a warm, heartening and enjoyable broadcast." He added that he hoped the program would clearly convey to viewers why it is good not to be alone.

Lee Hyori also joined the first recording as a special MC. According to the production team, the set with Yoo Jae-suk, Jang Hang-jun, Yoon Jong-shin and Lee Hyori was filled with both laughter and emotion.

The production team also shared that the songs and sincere stories presented by the participants drew the MCs deeply into the moment. The three MCs and Lee Hyori were reportedly so absorbed by the performances that they were moved to tears.

Director Jang Hang-jun modestly referred to himself as an "assistant MC," but explained that his judging standard comes from the emotion he feels when watching how participants look at one another through their personal narratives. He also expressed his hope that Happy Together would receive a positive response.

Yoon Jong-shin defined the program as "a new audition that focuses on the stories of life teammates." He pointed to the participants' love and passion for singing as the element that sets the show apart from existing audition programs.

At the center of the program is not a stage built only to compare singing ability. The key is the synergy created by people who stand together as a team and share both music and their lives.

The cast hopes that the stories of these team-based "life teammates" will bring viewers warm comfort and enjoyment.

Interest has already been building before the premiere, both because of the combination of Yoo Jae-suk, Jang Hang-jun and Yoon Jong-shin, and because of Lee Hyori's participation in the first recording. Happy Together: Good Because We Are Not Alone will open its doors on KBS2 on July 10 at 8:30 p.m.