MBN's 'Legend of the Unknown' Unveils Identities of 18 Famous Contestants

The identities of 18 famous contestants hidden behind masks were revealed on MBN's audition program 'Legend of the Unknown - The Rank War of Trot Men' (hereafter referred to as 'Legend of the Unknown').

According to Nielsen Korea on the 12th, the third episode of 'Legend of the Unknown', which aired on the 11th at 9:40 PM, recorded a viewership rating of 8.112% (part 2) among all paid households, with the highest minute rating reaching 8.758%. This marks a slight increase of approximately 0.07% from the previous episode's 8.04%, continuing the upward trend in ratings since the first broadcast and securing the top spot among Wednesday entertainment programs.

The episode featured the 'Unknown Selection' of unknown contestants from the first to the third floor of the rank tower, followed by the 'Famous Selection' of famous contestants on the fourth and fifth floors. Stars from various fields appeared, including Pyeon Seung-yeop, the protagonist of the national favorite song 'Chan Chan Chan', Ryan, the leader of the group Paran, 'Ballad Prince' Lee Ji-hoon, 2AM's Lee Chang-min, Shin Sung, Seong Ri, Hwang Yoon-seong, Kim Da-hyun of the band Yada, and 'Million Actor' Kim Jung-tae. These individuals, who have been active on different stages such as trot, ballad, idol, rock, and acting, took on the challenge with sincerity and their own stories.

The 'Famous Selection' applied more rigorous rules as it gathered participants with existing recognition. While the 'Unknown Selection' was an absolute evaluation, the 'Famous Selection' was a relative evaluation where the final ranking was determined by combining 130 points from the Top Pro Panel and 170 points from the National Pro Panel. Only the top 10 out of 18 famous contestants survive, while the remaining 8 become elimination candidates. The halo of recognition served as a stricter criterion, placing the 18 famous contestants in the midst of a rank war.

Pyeon Seung-yeop, who received national love with 'Chan Chan Chan', took the stage amidst standing ovations from the rank tower contestants and the Top Pro Panel. He revealed his reason for auditioning for the first time in his 36-year music career, saying, "The stage for the older generation has diminished. I stood here with the desire to remain active forever." Pyeon Seung-yeop, who chose his hit song 'Chan Chan Chan', delivered a deep performance that filled the stage effortlessly, scoring 117 points. The Top Pro Panel, including Jo Hang-jo, commented, "It felt like listening to a life. Experience is different."

In the interim evaluation conducted solely by the Top Pro Panel, Seong Ri, Yoo Seul-gi, Park Min-soo, Pyeon Seung-yeop, Lee Ji-hoon, Shin Sung, Ryan, Choi Woo-jin, Lee Chang-min, and Hwang Yoon-seong were ranked from 1st to 10th. However, the ranking landscape shifted significantly when the National Pro Panel scores were combined.

The final ranking, with the National Pro Panel scores combined, was confirmed as Seong Ri, Ryan, Hwang Yoon-seong, Park Min-soo, Kang Tae-kwan, Choi Woo-jin, Yoo Seul-gi, Lee Do-jin, and Lee Chang-min from 1st to 9th. Pyeon Seung-yeop, Lee Ji-hoon, and Shin Sung, who were in the survival zone based on the Top Pro scores, became elimination candidates.

The fourth episode of 'Legend of the Unknown' will air on the 18th at 9:40 PM on MBN.

Reporter Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia one@tenasia.co.kr