'After appearing on "Unknown Legend" and making an impression, Kim Gi-yong has embarked on a new challenge to pursue a dream he did not fulfill even at a late age.'
On the 16th, MBN's "Exclusive World" featured Kim Gi-yong, who received a hot response on "Unknown Legend" for delivering an energetic performance even at the age of 58.
That day he mentioned the response after the broadcast, saying, "They said they wanted to see me again because my dance is powerful for my age and because of things like that. I thought I was more popular than I expected," and after appearing on "Unknown Legend," Kim Gi-yong was still dancing with passion. He expressed his desire, saying, "Leaving age aside, I really want to be recognized for dance itself."
Kim Gi-yong climbed a steep mountain from early morning and explained, "To challenge the professional stage, I'm building stamina to show a professional appearance while singing and dancing." His body, exhausted from exercise and dance practice, was covered in pain-relief patches. His wife scolded him, saying, "I told you not to overdo it. You're at your age. You should only do it to the point that you don't get hurt. Your whole body is full of patches. It seems like you live with patches. It's good that you do it, but you need to regulate it so you don't get injured. You're like a child pushing yourself so hard. You're at an age, approaching 60, and you're like an immature son."
In particular, Kim Gi-yong cautiously shared his thoughts while watching the "Unknown Legend" stage with his family, saying, "Because of 'Unknown Legend,' my friends contacted me. They said they didn't know you would appear on such a big stage. They were all surprised. They said if you had pursued it professionally when you were young, you probably would have succeeded. So I wondered whether I should become a professional singer."
But his wife firmly said, "What are you worrying about? Are you talking nonsense? I don't think you're at the level to jump into the professional career frontlines." Kim Gi-yong said, "Rather than absolute technique, I thought for the first time that surrounding factors could also be strong," and his wife worried, "I'm worried. It's not like when you were young, and at this point approaching 60, saying such things. Aside from telling you not to, I always discourage you; I never didn't. You've done everything you wanted to do."
Kim Gi-yong said, "I've done what I wanted, but because of the responsibility of supporting the family, I never left that behind," and his wife emphasized, "That's a part you must not leave. Trying to leave it would be irresponsible." Their daughter honestly expressed, "I'm worried whether he can keep up with younger generations at this age. If mother dislikes it, I think I'll try to stop him along with her."
Later, in an interview with the producers, Kim Gi-yong showed understanding of his wife's position, saying, "To be honest, quitting a steady job now to become a singer seems like not knowing one's place. After all, I'm not someone who has properly learned to sing. I'm not a singer who can read sheet music well. A person like that would have a big concern about whether they could survive in the world of professional singers."
Kim Gi-yong's main job was managing a public parking lot. He did not stop practicing dance on the roof even during lunch. He said, "I started dancing in earnest at 17, in the first year of high school. In 1984 a broadcast showed the Grammy Awards. The moment I saw Michael Jackson's moonwalk, it was like something hit my head and suddenly I thought, 'I really want to imitate that and dance.' In my first year of high school I won 30 prizes in disco competitions. I won prizes ranging from gold rings and hair dryers to soy sauce and red pepper paste and various household items. At that time I joined a production and worked as a professional dancer for three or four years," sharing his long connection with dance.
He continued, "Actually, I haven't properly learned singing or dancing. This time I briefly received vocal training at a piano for the first time in my life. I didn't make it, I was eliminated in the first round, but I'm grateful just to have appeared on the show. It was my first time standing on a flashy stage with such famous and prominent singers. Back then everyone was like that. The contestants and production staff should have given popularity awards if they existed, but since they didn't, I actually received the most applause that day," he recalled the "Unknown Legend" scene.
However, his body was not in good condition compared with his passion. After practicing b-boying and visiting the hospital, Kim Gi-yong voiced his hardship, saying, "When I was young, if I got injured and a few days passed I would be fine, but as I get older, the pain doesn't stop briefly; it seems to continue." An orthopedic specialist also expressed concern, saying, "If you do moves that put compressive pressure on the neck, like headspins, the neck muscles tense and take on strain to compensate for joint instability. Think about your body, control your weight, do appropriate strength training, and enjoy the b-boying you love."
The next day, Kim Gi-yong visited his father's memorial hall. He said, "I asked them to send me to a dance academy, singing academy, or acting academy, but they said there was no money at home and since you won't be great at dancing your whole life, just get a stable job. Looking back, if I had had a little more courage I wonder if I would have taken the challenge," he said. He could not fulfill his dream due to his father's firm opposition and had lived for 30 years with resentment and a sense of loss.
Kim Gi-yong said, "To be honest, I held a lot of resentment. Many of my friends became entertainers. Among the friends I danced with, many became singers. I fought a lot with my parents, saying, 'Why didn't you send me to an academy?' I also often slammed the nails in. Coming out on 'Unknown Legend' made this bigger. If I could tell my parents, 'I stood on a big stage and made people happy,' my father would have been pleased to see it and said, 'Gi-yong stood on such a big stage even without proper training.' But since he's not here, it's a bit sad. People are always creatures of regret. You can't know at the time, but as time passes, regrets about life wash over you," he cried.
After that, Kim Gi-yong performed a solo stage just for his wife. Seeing this, his wife asked, "Do you still have regrets? Do you want to achieve the dreams you couldn't until now?" and Kim Gi-yong honestly replied, "It would be a lie to say I have no regrets." His wife pointed out, "There is a lot of training to do now. You need to polish the language aspect and self-management. I've told you hundreds of times to cut your hair and you don't listen. You need that self-management mindset. If you want to make it your main job."
His wife candidly said, "Do what you want to do, but keep your job that you must do well. It would be good to prepare things that let you challenge hobbies and dreams you can pursue. I don't want your talent to rot, but I hope you don't get deluded about it. That's what I want to tell you." In response, Kim Gi-yong revealed his passion, saying, "A sleeping desire has been expressed. I have confidence that maybe I can try this."
[Photo] MBN
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