Jin Sori (real name Kim Do-hyeon, 20), the second daughter of Kim Bong-gon — widely known as the "Cheonghaengdong tutor" — has been named Miss Chunhyang.
Kim Bong-gon appeared on KBS1's "Achim Madang" on Tuesday alongside his second daughter Jin Sori and third daughter Kim Da-hyeon.
Jin Sori said she was selected as "2026 Miss Chunhyang Jeong" at the Global Chunhyang Selection Contest held during the Chunhyang Festival in May — a fourth-place finish in the overall ranking, just below the top three titles of Jin, Seon and Mi.
"I'm told I look half like my mother and half like my father," she said. "A lot of people say my eyes take after my father."
Jin Sori is also a member of Pastel Girls, a five-member trot music girl group. She said she recently took on her first acting role, playing the love interest of the historical general Kim Yu-sin in the musical "Cheonnyeonui Bulkkot Kim Yu-sin" ("Flame of a Thousand Years: Kim Yu-sin").
Her younger sister Kim Da-hyeon, 17, is a trot music singer now entering her seventh year since debut. Da-hyeon built her public profile before her older sister, finishing as runner-up on MBN's "Voice Trot" in 2020 and placing third on MBN's "Hyeonyeok Gawang" in 2023. Kim Da-hyeon announced plans for a nationwide concert tour and the release of a full-length album, signaling a busy stretch ahead.
The two sisters grew up in Cheonghaengdong on Jirisan before moving to Seoul, and they spoke about the conveniences of city life. "When I was little and living in the countryside, delivery apps didn't work, so if I wanted something to eat I had to get in a car and drive 20 or 30 minutes," Kim Da-hyeon said. "Now it's comfortable — a completely different world. I've put on a lot of weight since coming to Seoul."
Their father Kim Bong-gon, by contrast, said city life still feels foreign to him, even as he enters his fourth year in Seoul — a move he made for his daughters' education. "The apartment is uncomfortable. I'm supposed to be living on the ground, but here I am on the 16th floor and I can't sleep properly," he said. "My wife and the kids all love living in Seoul. I'm the only one who doesn't."
paq@heraldcorp.com
