Hwanhee from the group Fly to the Sky maintained his pride by scoring full marks in the self-evaluation round.
In the episode of MBN's 'Current King of Masked Singers 2' aired on the 26th, a lineup of 34 active male singers was presented, challenging for the TOP 7 to compete in the 'Korea-Japan King of Singers' to be held in 2025.
On that day, when the names of the active singers appeared on the screen, they went up on stage to find their places. As they found their spots one by one, the studio buzzed when 'Trot God' winner Kang Moon-kyung and 'Trot National Championship' winner Jin Hae-sung appeared.
Hwanhee from Fly to the Sky also made an appearance, drawing attention. All the active singers stood up to show their support for Hwanhee's entrance.
Once all 34 active singers had appeared, MC Shin Dong-yeop made his entrance. He explained, "In 'Current King of Masked Singers', only one person was eliminated in the self-evaluation round. This time, the number has increased to four. Additionally, there's another shocking change. While the self-evaluation round in 'Current King of Masked Singers' was conducted through secret voting, this time it will be done through open voting."
Choi Soo-ho was the first contestant in the self-evaluation round. On stage, Choi Soo-ho declared, "I came out because I want to compete with the high-ranking seniors." Seeing this, Noh Ji-hoon pressed the recognition button, drawing attention. Noh Ji-hoon said, "I pressed the recognition button because I wanted to encourage him."
Choi Soo-ho received 32 points out of a possible 33. Master Yoon Myung-sun, who watched Choi Soo-ho's performance, commented, "I don't think Choi Soo-ho sang well. He seemed a bit scared, but if he can shake off that fear and show his abilities freely, he has a good chance of rising strongly in the auditions."
Five-year active singer Seong-ri, who is a former idol, named Na Tae-joo and Kim Joong-yeon as his competitors for generational change. Seong-ri stated, "Those two can be considered the strongest in current trot performances," and surprised everyone with his unwavering vocal ability even after a flashy performance.
Hwanhee, who received the attention of active singers from the start, could not hide his unfamiliar emotions. When Shin Dong-yeop said, "I don't think I've ever seen Hwanhee sing trot," Hwanhee replied, "That's right. I've never sung it. But my mother said, 'My son’s songs are impossible to sing along to.' Before my mother gets older, I wanted to sing for her as a son, which is why I decided to challenge myself in 'Current King of Masked Singers 2.'
Choosing Kang Seung-mo's 'Mujeong Blues', Hwanhee heightened the immersion with his powerful vocal range. He received a perfect score of 33 points. Hwanhee smiled and said, "They were very generous since it's my first time."
[Lee Se-bin, Star Today Guest Reporter]
