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

Actor Yu Tong, 69, has criticized veteran singer Shim Su-bong, 71, who sparked controversy after publicly calling out younger singer Kim Da-hyun, 17. Yu said Shim had effectively issued her own death sentence in the entertainment industry, expressing regret over the situation.

On Wednesday, Yu posted a video titled "Shim Su-bong's entertainment industry death sentence" on his YouTube channel "Yu Tong TV." "There's been a lot of back-and-forth about sunbae Shim Su-bong, but there's no need for all that heat," he said.

Referencing a past interview Shim had given, Yu said she herself had acknowledged having an unusual condition that even her husband could not understand. "She said herself that she is a patient — that she has a rare illness others don't have, and that her husband can't even understand it. That interview is all out there," he said.

Yu then said Shim had been helped onto the stage that day. "She's not young — she's in her mid-70s, and she has moments of forgetfulness. And apparently this wasn't the first time. I heard she was startled by her own words," he said.

"That's age," Yu said. "So we have no choice but to understand." He added that Shim would from now on exist only as a memory, a name held dear in people's hearts.

Yu went on to address Shim's future broadcast activities. "Who would put someone like that on a stage now? How could you put someone whose mind comes and goes, someone with an illness, on a broadcast?" he said. "Live broadcasts in particular are out of the question. Reruns and recorded programs can edit those parts out, but live broadcasts cannot."

Yu said he viewed the incident as a career-ending moment for Shim — one she had brought upon herself. "In my view, this is a death sentence for the singer Shim Su-bong. And who delivered it? Not the Korean public — she did it herself," he said. "Ultimately it's suicide. Career suicide. That's how I see it. It's truly a shame."

He again expressed regret, calling Shim "a heavenly-voiced singer-songwriter." "Her live shows may still be for her fans, I don't know, but in my view this is career suicide for singer Shim Su-bong. That's what I think," he said.

Yu also commented on Kim Da-hyun's performance, saying he had watched all the footage. "I thought that if she had sung even one heartfelt ballad in the middle that conveyed real vocal ability, the dance numbers would have shone even brighter," he said.

The controversy began Sunday, when Shim took the stage at the 10th Jinan Highland Trot Music Festival in Jinan-gun, North Jeolla Province, after Kim had performed. Shim said of the younger singer, "She seems like a young lady who doesn't know what singing is, or what life is," adding that she had found it difficult to listen to the performance.

Shim then said, "Please don't put that performer on before me," and added, "Singing is not something you do so carelessly. Music that comforts everyone — after experiencing life, after going through hardship — is not that easy."

As the remarks spread and the backlash grew, Shim issued a direct apology. "At a trot festival where everyone should be laughing and having fun, I said things at an inappropriate moment that went beyond common sense. I have no excuse, even if I had ten mouths," she said.

Kim Da-hyun subsequently said she had spoken directly with Shim by phone. "Teacher Shim Su-bong personally apologized and also gave me warm words of encouragement and comfort," she said. "I will take good care of my heart, so please don't worry. Thank you."

Shim debuted in 1978 at the College Song Festival, performing her original song "That Person Back Then." She went on to become one of the defining figures of Korean popular music, leaving behind a string of hits including "Man Is a Ship, Woman Is a Harbor," "I Know Nothing But Love" and "A Million Roses."

On Oct. 26, 1979, Shim was singing at a private dinner in Gunjeong-dong when former President Park Chung-hee, who was seated right beside her, was shot and killed by Kim Jae-gyu. Shim witnessed the assassination firsthand.


yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com