Shim Su-bong and Kim Da-hyun [Online community]
Shim Su-bong and Kim Da-hyun [Online community]

Singer Shim Su-bong, 71, publicly criticized fellow singer Kim Da-hyun, 17, from the stage at a regional event after Kim had already performed, stirring controversy.

The two were among the performers at the 10th Jinan Highland Trot Music Festival held Sunday in Jinan-gun, North Jeolla Province.

Kim performed first, and Shim took the stage immediately after.

After singing two songs, Shim abruptly brought up Kim, referring to her as "the woman who sang before me."

"She made my head spin. Is her manager here by any chance?" Shim said, then added, "She seems like a young woman who doesn't know what music is, or what life is."

Shim then directed her remarks toward the backstage area, saying, "Listening to her singing was so draining that I'm telling you all this right now. Please don't send that performer out in front of me again. I'm so dizzy right now I feel like I'm going to collapse."

"Music is not something you do so carelessly," Shim said. "You need life experience, you need to have struggled — music that comforts the people who came here is not something that comes easily." She added, "I'm so worn out right now that I have no choice but to confess this to you all. Please forgive me."

Shim then continued her set, performing the songs she had prepared.

It is unclear exactly what aspect of Kim's performance Shim was objecting to. Kim had completed her set without any notable mistakes and drew a warm response from the audience.

Online reaction to Shim's sudden public criticism was largely negative. Comments included: "Why publicly humiliate someone like that?"; "What did Kim Da-hyun do wrong? Did something happen backstage?"; and "She's practically her granddaughter's age — that was an unbecoming lecture from an elder."

Kim is the third daughter of Kim Bong-gon, known as the "Cheonghaengdong tutor." A high school student who has been active in trot music for seven years, Kim finished runner-up on MBN's Voice Trot in 2020 and placed third on MBN's Hyeonyeok Gawang, a TV singing competition, in 2023.


paq@heraldcorp.com