The 'King of Kings' Cho Yong-pil took the stage alone on KBS for the first time in 28 years, comforting all generations.
The KBS2 special 'Cho Yong-pil, Forever This Moment', aired on the 6th, recorded a peak viewership rating of 18.2% (according to Nielsen Korea, for Part 2), ranking first in its time slot. This is the highest figure among broadcast programs during the Chuseok holiday, once again proving the greatness of 'national singer' Cho Yong-pil.
That day's stage was truly a 'Cho Yong-pil World'. Starting with the first song 'Unknown World', the performance seamlessly flowed through hits like 'I Can't Find the Nightingale', 'Short Hair', 'The Woman Outside the Window', 'The Teahouse of That Winter', and 'Mona Lisa'. The audience, including those in the front row at home, responded with a chorus.
The stage was meticulously centered around Cho Yong-pil. Without any guests, the performance was solely decorated with his songs. Even at the age of 75, his unwavering stamina and vocal ability amazed both the audience and viewers.
In particular, the performance of 'It's Okay' recorded the highest viewership rating of the broadcast. The comforting message "It's okay, it's still fine" resonated warmly with the weary. Following the broadcast, online reactions included comments like "My heart ached" and "I cried".
In a backstage interview, Cho Yong-pil revealed his philosophy and beliefs about music. He stated, "If you don't sing, your voice will age. So you have to strengthen your voice. The method is practice. Before going on stage, I really practice hard," and confessed, "I know nothing but music, in my whole life."
When asked, "What is your dream?", he replied, "To die on stage. That's actually a romance. How happy would it be to die while singing? That's my dream," leaving a deep impression.
The concert was filled with timeless hits from Cho Yong-pil, including 'Pride', 'My Dear', 'Empty Sky', 'Q', 'Come Back to Busan Port', and 'Song of the Wind'. Even after the official ending song 'Mona Lisa', the audience's cheers did not stop, and Cho Yong-pil concluded the hot night with encores of 'The Leopard of Kilimanjaro', 'Bounce', and 'Let's Go on a Trip'.
The directing power of KBS that enveloped the stage also shone. The use of giant LED screens, CG, lighting, and cheering sticks enhanced the immersion of the performance. Even the font of the subtitles showed traces of careful attention.
A documentary capturing the behind-the-scenes story of this performance, 'Cho Yong-pil, Forever This Moment - The Record of That Day', will be broadcast on KBS2 on the 8th at 8 PM. Following that, a special edition featuring the unreleased stage 'My Friend' will air on the same day at 9 PM.
