MBN's 'The King of Singers 3' Sees Intense Competition as Finalists Advance to Second Round

The competition heats up on MBN's 'The King of Singers 3' as Hong Ji-yoon, Cha Ji-yeon, Koo Soo-kyung, Solji, Kim Tae-yeon, Kang Hye-yeon, Lee Soo-yeon, and Hong Ja advance to the second round of the finals. Unfortunately, Bin Ye-seo was eliminated.

The episode aired on the 3rd of this month, achieving a peak viewership rating of 13.1% and a nationwide rating of 12.4%.

In the 11th episode, the first round of the finals took place, where the third 'King of Singers' and the national representative TOP7 for the '2026 Korea-Japan King of Singers Competition' were to be determined. The finals consist of two rounds with a total score of 4000 points: 1200 points for the first round, 1200 points for the second round, 1200 points for real-time text voting next week, 240 points for national support voting, and 160 points for new song scores. Unlike the previous seasons, only the top 7 from the first round advance to the second round, with the bottom three facing elimination.

The first round featured a 'New Song Battle' where contestants performed new songs composed by famous composers. Geum Jan-di opened the stage with 'Secret Love' by composer Jeong Eui-song, showcasing her vocal prowess. Despite praise from the original composer, she scored 564 out of 870 points. Hong Ja performed 'Spring Day, Come' by composer Kim Kyung-beom, earning 616 points and emotional praise from the composer.

Teen sensation Kim Tae-yeon chose 'Go Go Go' by composer Park Gu-yoon, delivering a lively performance that scored 657 points. Kang Hye-yeon, who barely made it to the finals, performed 'Al Ddal Ddal' by composer Lee Jin-sil, scoring 688 points and taking the lead.

Solji, known for her powerful vocals, performed 'Good Energy' by composer Yoon Il-sang, scoring a high 765 points. Bin Ye-seo, despite a vibrant performance of 'A Little Bit' by composer EuReKa, scored 557 points and was eliminated.

Koo Soo-kyung, who made it to the finals with her powerful vocals, performed 'Success' by composer Jeong Kyung-cheon, scoring 746 points. Hong Ji-yoon, known for her versatility, performed 'One Suit' by composer Lim Kang-hyun, scoring an impressive 853 points.

Cha Ji-yeon delivered an emotional performance of 'Tree' by composer Ahn Ye-eun, scoring 840 points. Lee Soo-yeon, who topped the semifinals, performed 'Father' by composer Yoon Myung-sun, but only scored 571 points.

After a celebratory performance by Shin Dong-yup and Seol Woon-do, the final rankings were announced: Hong Ji-yoon in first, Cha Ji-yeon in second, Koo Soo-kyung in third, Solji in fourth, Kim Tae-yeon in fifth, and Kang Hye-yeon in sixth, all advancing to the second round. Hong Ja and Lee Soo-yeon tied for seventh, also advancing. Geum Jan-di narrowly survived elimination, while Bin Ye-seo was eliminated.

Bin Ye-seo expressed gratitude for her journey, saying, "I feel like I've come a long way and shown a lot of growth." Her elimination sparked reactions from viewers, with some questioning the fairness of the elimination process.

Tae Yuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr