Hong Ji-yoon has been named the champion of MBN’s music survival show “Active King of Singers 3” (현역가왕3). She shared that a major reason she decided to compete was a fan who had been fighting cancer.
At the Top 7 press event on March 11 in Seoul (Mapo-gu, Sangam-dong), Hong explained that one fan passed away just before the competition began. She said the fan continued to vote for her until the very end, which strongly motivated her to take on the challenge.
Hong Ji-yoon said she believes trot music is a genre that can comfort people, helping them laugh and cry. She added that she wanted to create stages that bring warmth and support—especially for people who are sick or struggling.
What is “Active King of Singers”?
“Active King of Singers” is an MBN competition series that has aired since 2023. The program selects seven national representative singers who will compete in the upcoming Korea-Japan singing competition, “2026 Korea-Japan King of Singers” (2026 한일가왕전).
Hong Ji-yoon Plans to Donate Her Prize Money
Hong Ji-yoon also drew attention by announcing she will donate her 100 million won prize (₩100,000,000). She said she had promised in the past that if she ever won a competition, she wanted to give the entire prize money back through donation. Winning this title, she explained, felt like finally completing a promise she had carried for a long time.
Cha Ji-yeon Takes Second Place
Second place went to Cha Ji-yeon, a musical actress with about 20 years of experience. She said she did not want to stay comfortable in one place and wanted to keep challenging herself. She also shared that trot feels like one of the most emotionally direct styles of music for the public, and she felt thankful to be part of the show.
Other Top 7 Highlights
- Lee Soo-yeon (age 12) ranked third but could not appear in the live broadcast because she is a minor. She said she watched from home with her grandfather and felt extremely nervous. When she struggled to understand love-song lyrics, she asked her grandmother for help interpreting the meaning.
- Other Top 7 artists who attended the event included Koo Soo-kyung (4th), Kang Hye-yeon (5th), and Solji (7th).
- Kim Tae-yeon (6th) was absent due to school classes.
What’s Next for the Top 7?
The Top 7 will represent Korea on “2026 Korea-Japan King of Singers”, which premieres April 14. They will also launch a nationwide concert tour, starting March 28–29 at Kyung Hee University Peace Hall in Seoul.
