"I will strive not to disgrace the reputation"
"30% satisfaction with the first recording... will continue to improve"
Nam Hee-seok, the host of KBS's 'National Singing Contest' set to premiere on the 31st, expressed his determination to "do his best not to tarnish the reputation of Song Hae."
In an interview with Yonhap News on the 29th, Nam Hee-seok said, "'National Singing Contest' is a difficult position for anyone to take, and since my dear junior Kim Shin-young held this position, I was worried." He added, "The day after I was offered the role, I called Shin-young, and on the day my first recording ended, she called me first, and we encouraged each other."
KBS's long-running music program 'National Singing Contest' will welcome its new host Nam Hee-seok to viewers through the broadcast on the 31st. [Image provided by KBS] [Image source: Yonhap News]
Having completed his first MC debut through the recent recording of the 'Jeollanam-do Jindo-gun episode,' Nam Hee-seok said, "Just like adjusting the sights when shooting, I think I will spend some time adapting to the program for a while." He added, "My satisfaction with the first recording is 30%, and I believe the rest needs to be filled in." He continued, "What I was most grateful for during the first shoot was the reaction of the Jindo residents. Grandmothers held my hands and said, 'Nam Hee-seok has come.'"
Nam Hee-seok reportedly prepared for his first recording by re-watching old broadcasts of 'National Singing Contest.' He said, "I was amazed to see Song Hae, who is over ninety years old, making everyone from children to grandmothers feel comfortable." He added, "Grandmothers came to give him kisses, children came and cried, but no one was intimidated by the MC."
He said, "I think the most important thing is to relax my body." He added, "I will start by relaxing myself so that the local elders can come naturally and comfortably."
KBS's long-running music program 'National Singing Contest' will introduce its new host Nam Hee-seok to viewers through the broadcast on the 31st. [Image provided by KBS] [Image source: Yonhap News]
Nam Hee-seok plans to adapt to the show by increasing interaction with local residents. He is the first MC in the history of 'National Singing Contest' to participate in the preliminary auditions. He explained, "I thought it would be better to join the preliminaries to quickly adapt and have skinship with the locals."
He said, "Song Hae reportedly visited local bathhouses and popular restaurants in the area the day before the recording, and I am planning to do the same. If my autograph as 'National Singing Contest' Nam Hee-seok remains at the gukbap restaurants in each area I visit, it would be a good memory."
Meanwhile, 'National Singing Contest,' which airs every Sunday on KBS 1TV, is the longest-running entertainment program in South Korea. Song Hae hosted the show for 34 years since May 1988, and after his passing in 2022, Kim Shin-young took over as MC. However, she stepped down after the recording in Seo-gu, Incheon on the 9th.
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