When Paintball Meets Culture Shock: Portuguese Students Face Off with Korean Counterparts
In the May 8th episode of MBC Every1‘s hit reality show ‘Welcome, First Time in Korea?’, the show sets the stage for an unexpected military-style showdown between Portugal’s brightest minds and Korea University’s rising stars. What begins as a friendly invitation to a local trip — commonly known in Korea as an ‘MT’ — explodes into a full-blown paintball survival challenge that transcends borders and triggers cultural curiosity.
The Portuguese exchange students, experiencing their very first trip to Gapyeong, South Korea, were in for more than just scenic views. Thanks to their new Korean friends, the activity of the day was full-on paintball warfare. Fans of the series may recall the notorious ‘Poland episode’ where Polish students engaged in a similar military-themed survival game against the South Korean production team — the clips now viral across every major social media platform.
This time, the battle lines were drawn between two sides that have never held a gun — the all-draftee team of Portuguese students versus soon-to-enlist Korean male students. Despite being non-veterans, the Korean university students displayed a jaw-dropping sense of tactical precision and agility. Reports from the set describe paintball commanders executing advanced movements and elite sharpshooters making pinpoint shots — all within a mock battlefield.
Amazed by their opponents’ surprising skill set, one Portuguese student asked in disbelief, “Do Koreans have gun-handling in their DNA?” Even show MC and military-experienced Kim Jun-hyun couldn’t hold back his astonishment, commenting, “They’ve definitely played some games!”
The exhilarating clash between these two groups of non-soldiers offers more than laughs — it sheds light on how military culture, even in playful form, can bridge cultural understanding. Find out who emerged victorious in this global-friendly face-off on ‘Welcome, First Time in Korea?’, airing May 8th at 8:30 PM KST on MBC Every1.
