Singer Park Seojin: "I Will Donate the 100 Million Won Prize from 'Active King of Singers 2'"

Parents Distributed Rice Cakes in Hometown Samcheonpo
"They Said, 'Now We Have No Regrets Even If We Die'"

Park Seo-jin attending the press conference commemorating the end of 'Active King of Singers 2'. Photo by MBN

"Isn't giving back the love we received through donations? I will become a singer I am not ashamed of."

Trot singer Park Seojin announced that he will donate the 100 million won prize money from winning MBN's Hyunyeok King 2.

Park Seojin took first place in the trot survival show Hyunyeok King 2, becoming the 2nd generation 'Hyunyeok King.' At a press conference held on the afternoon of the 12th at Nurikum Square in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, he said, "The moment I was called the winner, I felt not joy but rather 'Oh no, this is serious,'" and added, "The king's belt feels heavy."

Hyunyeok King 2 is a trot audition program directed by Seo Hyejin, CEO of CREA Studio, who successfully produced Tomorrow's Miss Trot and Tomorrow's Mr. Trot. Park Seojin maintained first place for 10 consecutive weeks after ranking first in the third week of audience voting.

There was controversy over fairness surrounding Park Seojin, who participated in the main competition without going through preliminaries. Regarding this, he said, "I had a painful experience in Mr. Trot 2 in the past and vowed not to audition again," and added, "However, when I was offered to appear, the production team honestly explained that the penalty might become a stigma, and after much consideration, I decided to take on the challenge."

Park Seo-jin, who appeared on 'Active King of Songs 2'. Photo by MBN

Currently, Park Seojin is appearing on KBS2 variety show The Return of Superman, sharing his daily life with his family. The happiest people after winning Hyunyeok King 2 were his parents. He said, "Right after winning, I got off the stage and called my parents via video call first," and added, "The next day, my parents distributed rice cakes in my hometown Samcheonpo. When I showed them the king's belt, they said, 'Now we have no regrets even if we die.' I want to create stages that will make my parents even happier."

The seven singers selected from Hyunyeok King 2 are scheduled to participate in 'Korea-Japan King Battle 2,' which will air this year. Korean representative singers will face off against seven Japanese singers selected through a Japanese audition. Park Seojin emphasized, "I decided to appear because I want to introduce Korean sentiment to Japan through the janggu," and added, "I will properly showcase Korean music on stage."