'Miss Trot 4' Finale: Lee Sona Crowned Winner Amidst Record-Breaking Viewership

Lee Sona emerged as the ultimate winner of 'Miss Trot 4'. Despite Heo Chan-mi leading in the semi-finals and holding the top spot in the interim scores, she was overtaken by real-time text voting.

The grand finale of TV CHOSUN's 'Miss Trot 4' aired on the 5th, achieving a nationwide rating of 18.1%, a 1.7% increase from the previous week, setting a new record for the show. The peak viewership moment reached 18.4%.

With the slogan 'Enchant the World, Conquer Korea', 'Miss Trot 4' concluded its four-month journey that captivated South Korea. The TOP5 contestants (Gil Ryeo-won, Yoon Tae-hwa, Hong Sung-yoon, Lee Sona, Heo Chan-mi) faced off in the final 'Life Song Mission', delivering performances that resonated nationwide. Lee Sona claimed the crown, joining the ranks of Song Ga-in, Yang Ji-eun, and Jung Seo-joo.

The 'Miss Trot 4' finale was scored out of 3,000 points, with 1,600 points from the judges and 1,400 points from the public. The pre-show online voting was worth 400 points, and the real-time text voting accounted for 1,000 points.

Heo Chan-mi led the judges' scores with 1,583 points, followed by Gil Ryeo-won (1,578 points), Lee Sona (1,572 points), Hong Sung-yoon (1,561 points), and Yoon Tae-hwa (1,533 points). Adding the online votes, the interim rankings were Heo Chan-mi (1,973 points), Lee Sona (1,972 points), Gil Ryeo-won (1,948 points), Hong Sung-yoon (1,941 points), and Yoon Tae-hwa (1,893 points), with just a 1-point difference between the top two.

The real-time text voting saw a staggering 1,110,784 votes, with 916,030 valid votes. Lee Sona received 256,310 votes, achieving a 27.98% vote share, which propelled her to victory. Heo Chan-mi finished second, Hong Sung-yoon third, Gil Ryeo-won fourth, and Yoon Tae-hwa fifth. The public's vote ultimately changed the final outcome.

Upon being announced as the winner, Lee Sona collapsed on stage in tears, joined by her husband and mother in the audience. Overcoming her second-place interim ranking, she expressed gratitude to her family for their sacrifices, stating she wished to use her 300 million won prize for them. She emotionally added, "Mom, don't worry about me anymore."

Lee Sona chose Patti Kim's 'Love is the Flower of Life' as her life song. After six years of attempts, she finally reached the finals and won the crown in this season. Her heartfelt performance dedicated to her mother, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, moved the audience to tears. Despite previous critiques of her being too perfect, she delivered a relaxed and emotional performance, earning praise from the judges. Jang Yoon-jung commented, "She's been through a lot, and this is the performance I wanted to see."

Contestant No. 1, Gil Ryeo-won, performed Joo Hyun-mi's 'The King's Road', showcasing her unique vocal skills. Having been an audience member during 'Miss Trot 3', she reached the finals in her first audition attempt. She expressed her disbelief and joy at being in the finals, receiving high praise for her performance.

Contestant No. 2, Yoon Tae-hwa, sang Lee Mi-ja's 'Song is My Life', dedicating it to her mother, who had been in a coma during 'Miss Trot 2'. Her emotional performance was praised for its sincerity and marked a new chapter in her singing career.

Contestant No. 3, Hong Sung-yoon, known as 'Little Lee Sun-hee', performed Lee Sun-hee's 'Fate', dedicating it to her grandmother. Her journey to the finals was lauded as a remarkable achievement.

Contestant No. 5, Heo Chan-mi, performed Nam Jin's 'It's Me', incorporating highlights from her 16-year career. Her performance was praised for its completeness, with judges acknowledging her perseverance and talent.

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