The children of the late singer Shin Hae-cheol took the stage at the University Song Festival, revived after 13 years, and delivered the emotion of Shin's signature song, "To You."
Shin's daughter Ha-yeon and son Dong-won appeared on the special stage of MBC's "2025 University Song Festival," which aired on the 26th, and performed with the band Lucy.
They sang "To You," which won the grand prize at the University Song Festival in 1988 and is one of Shin's signature songs. Shin's real voice, restored with artificial intelligence (AI) technology, was also featured. Before the song began, the deceased's voice, implemented through technology developed by NextUnited, summoned viewers' old memories and added a deeper resonance.
Shin Ha-yeon said, "In my memory, many of my dad's fans are remembered in tears," and added, "If you enjoyed today's stage with a smile, I would be glad. Let's not make those sad faces anymore." Shin Dong-won said, "My father's memorial day has already passed more than 10 times, and I am grateful to the fans who still remember and care for him."
Shin Hae-cheol died in 2014 from complications after undergoing surgery at a hospital in Seoul. The bereaved family filed a medical malpractice manslaughter lawsuit against the hospital director and fought a long legal battle for years. The 27th marks the 11th anniversary of Shin's death.
Meanwhile, the MBC University Song Festival finals were held at the Arch Lawn Park of National Korea Maritime & Ocean University in Busan. About 2,000 students from 115 universities around the world took part and went through intense preliminaries. The 11 teams that made the finals presented original songs. Judges included Yoon Sang, Lee Jeok, Park Kalin, Lee Won-seok (Daybreak), Lee Young-hyun, Yuk Jung-wan, and Kim Yong-jun (SG Wannabe).