"Jeon~guk Norejaryang" 'Palbangmiin' Kim Sin-young, What Will She Look Like on 'Stage'?

Kim Shin-young Selected for 'National Singing Contest' Over Strong Candidates
"20 Years of Broadcasting with Trials and Tribulations...Grown into a Broadcaster Who Broadens National Consensus"

Broadcaster Kim Shin-young has succeeded the late Song Hae as the new host of KBS's "National Singing Contest."

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] "An honor for the family and one of the 'Obok' (Five Blessings)."

Broadcaster Kim Shin-young shared her thoughts on taking over as the host of KBS's 'National Singing Contest' following the late Song Hae. On the 30th, through the KBS YouTube channel, Kim Shin-young said, "I remember what Teacher Song Hae said," adding, "'National Singing Contest' was made by the people who appeared on the show, so absorbing and learning from all of that itself is what being an MC means."

She continued, "Rather than trying to be funny, I will follow the rhythm of the audience," and stated, "I will work diligently and sincerely with the mindset that this is a program where I can communicate closely with many people across all provinces and showcase local colors."

'National Singing Contest' is the longest-running music program in South Korea. Song Hae hosted it for 34 years since 1988, but the position became vacant after his passing in June. Since the singing competition involves participants from all regions nationwide and has shared the joys and sorrows of the people for a long time, there was great interest in the successor.

During his lifetime, Song Hae expressed a wish on broadcasts that his successor MC would also be a comedian. In September last year, on the YouTube channel 'Recent Olympics,' Song Hae said about his successor for 'National Singing Contest,' "All the people who are my juniors and do comedy are lined up," naming Lee Sang-byeok as his preferred successor.

Others such as Lee Sang-yong, Lim Baek-cheon, Lee Taek-rim, and Heo Cham were also mentioned as successors, and there was speculation that composer Lee Ho-seop and announcer Lim Soo-min, who temporarily hosted 'National Singing Contest,' might continue leading the program.

Among these strong candidates, Kim Shin-young was selected. She explained the reason for her appointment as, "I am someone who could be placed anywhere in the country," adding, "The threshold to approach me is low, so people can comfortably talk to me or joke around." She said her friendly image influenced her selection.

Broadcaster Kim Shin-young gained great popularity in 2005 by appearing on the 'Hyungnima' segment of SBS's comedy program 'Finding Laughter.'
Photo by Baekneung - SBS Old Variety YouTube Channel Capture.

◆ From Comedian Kim Shin-young to Radio DJ, Entertainer, and Actress... Active in Various Fields

Kim Shin-young debuted as a comedian in 2003 through the SBS Gag Contest. Over the past 20 years since her debut, she has demonstrated her capabilities as a broadcaster across various fields including entertainment, radio DJing, and acting.

She first gained recognition through the 'Haengnima' segment on SBS comedy program 'People Who Find Laughter.' Thanks to the witty performances of Kim Shin-young with her thick Gyeongsang-do dialect and comedian Kim Tae-hyun as a duo, the segment became popular and soon turned into a flagship corner. 'Haengnima' was unusually broadcast for over a year as a comedy segment and is still remembered today.

In fact, Kim Shin-young's 'Haengnima' faced many difficulties before airing, being rejected three times. There was skepticism about a female comedian like Kim Shin-young taking over the original 'Haengnima' character played by Kang Ho-dong and playing the 'boy' character. However, Kim Shin-young's passionate performance in 'Haengnima' won national love and showed that female comedians could successfully take on male roles, overcoming prejudice.

Broadcaster Kim Shin-young transformed into her alter ego and trot singer born in 1975, Second Aunt Kim Da-bi.
Photo by Second Aunt Kim Da-bi album capture.

Afterward, Kim Shin-young expanded beyond comedy, showing talent as an entertainer, singer, and radio DJ. Particularly, she excelled at portraying characters representing everyday people such as middle-aged women and men. She created the sub-character 'Second Aunt Kim Dabi,' actively performing both as an entertainer and singer simultaneously. Kim Shin-young has also continued her work as a radio DJ. She has been hosting MBC FM's 'Noon's Hope Song with Kim Shin-young' for 10 years now.

Recently, she has established herself as an actress. Kim Shin-young appeared in director Park Chan-wook's film 'Decision to Leave,' and the director praised her acting as "crazy." Kim Shin-young has received acclaim across comedy, MCing, entertainment, and acting, growing into a versatile entertainer over 20 years since her debut.

Experts analyze that Kim Shin-young's selection was mainly due to her growth from simply being a 'funny person' as a comedian to a broadcaster who has broadened public empathy through various trials and tribulations. Popular culture critic Jung Deok-hyun explained, "'National Singing Contest' MC holds a symbolic meaning different from other entertainment MCs," adding, "Therefore, it is not about being chosen for excellent hosting skills, but more about how broadly and deeply one can connect and communicate with multiple generations."

Critic Jung said, "From her debut to now, Kim Shin-young has continuously faced ups and downs and overcome difficulties," adding, "Her experiences with adversity have accumulated, and pathos has been embedded in her comedy. Also, she has been recognized for her sincerity by hosting radio for over 10 years. With these qualities, the production team likely judged that she could handle the weight of 'National Singing Contest.'"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.