On KBS2's 'Immortal Songs', Kim Shin-young and Chun Dan-bi dominated the stage with a perfect ensemble and lifted the trophy for the winner of '2026 entertainment industry king of singers part 1'.
On the 28th, episode 749 of 'Immortal Songs' (directed by Kim Hyung-seok and Choi Seung-beom, hereafter 'Immortal Songs') aired as '2026 entertainment industry king of singers part 1'. This special featured Kim Shin-young & Chun Dan-bi, LALAL, Moon Seyoon, the Gag Concert 'Chatflix' team, Park Joonhyung, Song Il-guk & Oh Man-seok (musical 'The Hague' team), Lee Chan-seok, Lee Hwi-jae, Cho Hye-lyeon, Hong Seok-cheon and 10 teams in total—from comedians to actors, creators, and show hosts—competing in earnest. It recorded a nationwide viewership rating of 4.8%, maintaining first place in its time slot for 147 weeks and continuing the power of the traditional Saturday entertainment leader.
In the first segment, Hong Seok-cheon chose Ailee's 'I will show you' and took the stage. Hong Seok-cheon added solid vocal skills to a flashy and powerful stage manner, quickly bringing the audience to their feet and reaffirming his label as a 'versatile entertainer.' In particular, at the climax, four hot guys popped out of his jewel box to turn the stage into a frenzy. Kim Shin-young marveled, "He really showed it," and Oh Man-seok praised, "Hong Seok-cheon was Hong Seok-cheon. He perfectly expressed his own color."
The second performer was Park Joonhyung. Choosing Kim Sang-bae's 'No, no', Park Joonhyung created a unique stage with smooth vocals combined with a comedian's flair and ideas. In particular, his secret weapon Park Seong-ho made a surprise appearance and sang a yodel song, and the novel mashup of the original song and the yodel surprised everyone. Moon Seyoon said, "Senior Park Seong-ho's yodel was not excessive at all and ended up moving me," and Song Il-guk marveled, "Isn't the fusion of trot and yodel a world first? I want to give a big round of applause for the idea." In the first face-off between Hong Seok-cheon and Park Joonhyung, Hong Seok-cheon won.
In the third slot, Moon Seyoon took the stage with Kim Dong-ryul's 'Replay.' Known for his vocal ability, Moon Seyoon moved seamlessly between rich low tones and explosive high notes, delivering a performance that relied solely on his voice. His heartfelt song captured the hearts of the expert judges at once, and Le Chanwon remarked, "Hong Seok-cheon should be nervous. This song ranges over two octaves, and he seems to use pitch variation very well," expressing astonishment. In the head-to-head between Hong Seok-cheon and Moon Seyoon, Moon Seyoon took the victory.
Lee Hwi-jae selected Choi Ho-seop's 'When years pass' for the fourth stage. Lee Hwi-jae delivered the song with a composed voice, savoring the lyrics. Shin Dong-yeob said, "The final lyric, 'don't forget and remember me,' resonated deeply," conveying a profound aftertaste. In the matchup between Moon Seyoon and Lee Hwi-jae, Lee Hwi-jae won and rose as the new victor.
Lee Hwi-jae also candidly shared his feelings about appearing on broadcast after four years. Lee Hwi-jae confessed, "I know very well where I was lacking, where I fell short, and what mistakes I made. It felt like a time to look back on my 30 years in broadcasting one by one. Since I cannot turn back time, I thought I have no choice but to do the work given to me now to the best of my ability." He added, "Coincidentally, the day I received the casting call was my mother's death anniversary. I thought my mother helped me. When I worked a lot, I think I didn't appreciate what I had. I love the road to Yeouido, and I love meeting colleagues and getting energy from them," and his eyes welled up.
The final stage was Kim Shin-young and Chun Dan-bi's performance of Seoul Family's 'Now.' The two created a stage that truly revived a retro mood, quickly filling the audience seats and the backstage talk waiting room with disco energy. The ensemble formed by Kim Shin-young's low tones and Chun Dan-bi's high notes delighted the ears, and their performance using differences in vocal registers provoked laughter. Completing a 'hexagonal stage' that combined singing ability, concept, and humor, the Kim Shin-young X Chun Dan-bi duo drew thumbs-up from LALAL, who said, "They crushed it," and Le Chanwon praised, "They really sounded like Wei Yiqing and Kim Seung-mi." In the final showdown, Kim Shin-young X Chun Dan-bi defeated Lee Hwi-jae to claim first place for part 1.
Thus, '2026 entertainment industry king of singers special part 1' was a special full of variety as it was a showdown of pride among top music talents in the entertainment industry. From artists who conveyed deep resonance with just their voices to artists who bet on bright ideas and flashy performances, a different kind of fun poured out like a flood, leaving viewers looking forward to part 2.
After episode 749 of 'Immortal Songs' aired, various social media platforms were filled with reactions such as "Hong Seok-cheon's stage, full-performance knockout! So much fun," "Park Joonhyung is truly multi-talented. The yodel by Park Seong-ho and the stage were unique and great," "Moon Seyoon gives a different flavor from the original. The emotion and voice are both amazing," "I teared up watching Lee Hwi-jae's stage. It felt like a precious heart," and "Kim Shin-young's charming husky voice and Chun Dan-bi's sweet perfect vocals duet—best! Exciting and so good."
[Photo] KBS 2TV 'Immortal Songs' broadcast capture
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