Former 1TYM Member Song Baek-kyung Leaves KBS Voice Acting Group and Korean Voice Actors Association

Song Baek-kyung, a former member of the group 1TYM, has announced his departure from the KBS Voice Acting Group and the Korean Voice Actors Association.

On October 17, Song shared on his Instagram story, "I've deleted my voice sample from the voice actor account, and once I submit the withdrawal form to the Korean Voice Actors Association this week, it will be over," signaling the end of his voice acting career.

Earlier, on October 15, Song posted a lengthy message on Instagram, expressing, "Whenever the media describes me as a voice actor, I feel like I'm being labeled a liar."

He continued, "It's like having clothes I rarely wear just taking up space in the closet. I realized it's time to clear this situation."

Reflecting on his time as a voice actor, Song recalled, "Early morning commutes, the KBS exclusive voice actor room, duty shifts, cleaning, the worn-out practice room, endless reading, angelic seniors, and some seniors with twisted personalities."

He revealed, "During my 1TYM days, I disliked and avoided appearing on KBS the most." He added, "Back then, KBS producers seemed to deliberately misinterpret and censor our song lyrics, leading to many broadcast bans."

After about 20 years since his 1TYM days, Song became a KBS exclusive voice actor. He reminisced, "As a singer, I disliked KBS, but as a voice actor, I thought, 'I just read books here and still get paid,' and enjoyed those two years."

Song plans to leave the Korean Voice Actors Association and KBS Voice Acting Group. Regarding his future plans, he stated, "I will study and pursue a new career." He added, "I believe studying is the only way to increase my value, and it's not too late for a new challenge."

Song Baek-kyung joined KBS as a voice actor in 2019 after passing the 44th open recruitment. Recently, he mentioned Park Bom, who had a controversy involving a lawsuit against YG Entertainment's head Yang Hyun-suk, and criticized YG Entertainment.

Reporter: Da-yeon Jeong, Ten Asia light@tenasia.co.kr