Hong Ji-yoon Crowned Winner of 'The King of Singers 3'

Singer Hong Ji-yoon has emerged victorious in the final episode of MBN's 'The King of Singers 3'.

The finale, which aired on October 10, achieved a peak viewership rating of 12.4% and a nationwide rating of 11.7%, according to Nielsen Korea. Impressively, it maintained the top spot in viewership ratings across all channels, including terrestrial, general programming, and cable, for six consecutive weeks on Tuesdays.

In the final showdown, the TOP9 contestants—Hong Ji-yoon, Cha Ji-yeon, Koo Soo-kyung, Solji, Kim Tae-yeon, Kang Hye-yeon, Lee Soo-yeon, Hong Ja, and Geum Jan-di—competed fiercely in the second round of the finals with the mission 'Songs of Active Singers' to become the third King of Singers. Each contestant performed their life song with the intention of comforting the nation, while their beloved families watched on.

First on stage was Geum Jan-di, who expressed her happiness from participating in 'The King of Singers 3', telling her concerned mother, "I felt excitement and thrill on this big stage." She performed 'Daejeon Blues', calling it "the first song of my life." Despite her spirited performance, she received a high score of 90 and a low score of 30 from the celebrity judges, leaving some disappointment.

Hong Ja, who had been struggling with vocal cord nodules and the flu, chose 'You Are Beautiful' for her final performance, dedicated to a fan who was bedridden. Her emotional delivery earned her praise for providing strength and comfort, but she received scores ranging from 93 to 30.

Lee Soo-yeon, reflecting on her grandmother's love that filled the void left by her parents, performed 'Yakson' to express her deep gratitude, moving everyone to tears. She received high praise from Joo Hyun-mi, who called her "a perfect and professional singer," and scored between 100 and 55.

Kang Hye-yeon, who had re-entered 'The King of Singers 3' after previous eliminations, was determined not to falter after winning the national support vote. She passionately sang 'Dream', earning high praise and scores between 100 and 50.

Kim Tae-yeon, who cited her family, especially her grandfather, as her driving force, performed 'Mother' after sharing her struggles with the flu. Her performance was so impressive that it was said to potentially inspire other singers to consider retirement. She scored between 100 and 50, tying with Kang Hye-yeon.

Solji dedicated 'Irreversible Time' to her parents, showcasing her strong vocal skills and emotional depth. She received high praise from Yoon Myung-sun for her sincerity and pioneering spirit in trot music, scoring between 100 and 65, and quickly rose to first place.

Hong Ji-yoon reflected on her journey in 'The King of Singers', expressing her desire to show a new side of herself and not become complacent. She performed 'My Mother', a song she chose because of her grandmother's influence on her love for trot music. Her performance was praised for its legendary quality, earning her scores between 100 and 65, tying with Solji and Cha Ji-yeon for first place.

After the final match, the results were announced, incorporating the first round's total scores, the second round's on-site judging, the national support vote, new song scores, and real-time text votes. The real-time text votes totaled 12,072,670.

The honor of being the third 'King of Singers' went to Hong Ji-yoon, who received 19,610,088 votes out of the total 12,072,670, achieving a total score of 3,727. Following her were Cha Ji-yeon, Lee Soo-yeon, Koo Soo-kyung, Kang Hye-yeon, Kim Tae-yeon, and Solji, who were named to the TOP7 and selected as national representatives.

Hong Ji-yoon tearfully shared her thoughts, "I hesitated a lot before participating in 'The King of Singers'. I became a singer through an audition and debuted without much preparation, feeling inadequate. I wanted to show my growth and development, so I bravely took on the challenge. I will continue to work hard to become an excellent musician."

Reporter Jung Se-yoon, TenAsia yoon@tenasia.co.kr