Port Douglas fishing face-off to reach 20 million viewers in South Korean variety show

A South Korean television program will showcase the spectacular Douglas Shire scenery to some 20 million viewers across east Asia.

Korean TV company Channel A filmed an episode of their popular variety fishing and cooking show, City Angler, in Port Douglas on Monday.

The show features popular South Korean celebrities, including actors Lee Deok-hwa and Park Byung-Eun, comedian Lee Kyung-Kyu, and model Julien Kang, face-off in a fishing and cooking competition.

The crew of around 40 people spent the day filming out on the ocean with local fishing charter company East Coast Angling before bringing their catches back to the Crystalbrook Marina for a cook-off. The program’s co-ordinator Kevin Lee said City Angler is a very popular variety show in South Korea and is more comedic than a cooking or fishing show.

“There are no chiefs, they all cook themselves and show people how to cook,” he said.

“It is a competition, so every time they go out fishing they see who will catch the biggest fish and who serves the most delicious dish.

“If you win you get a gold badge and that person gets to decide which country they go to next.”

Mr Lee said the show travelled around the world fishing and they were delighted to be in Port Douglas.

Rob Cruz, the General Manager of Crystalbrook Marina, where the cooking segment was filmed, said having this level of exposure for Port Douglas was exciting.

“It is great to see Port Douglas extending beyond its normal reach. “They were an energetic young crew and were fantastic to deal with,’’ he said.

The crew will now spend the four days fishing in remote locations off the coast on board red East Coast Angling searching for different varieties of fish.

East Coast Angling owner, Nick Milford, said it is a great opportunity to educate a large audience on the sustainable fishing practices their charter promotes.

“We are showing the rest of the world our diverse fishing and our well-managed fisheries,” Mr Milford said.

City Angler will return to shore on Saturday to film another cook-off out on the grass in front of the Marina, looking out over Dickson Inlet.

The episode will air in South Korea, Japan and across East Asia on 29 November.

https://www.newsport.com.au/2019/november/port-douglas-fishing-face-off-to-reach-20-million-viewers-in-south-korean-variety-show/