“I am trying to do a little better because of the weight of being the winner of ‘Current King of Singers’.”
Trot singer Park Seo-jin expressed his feelings about winning ‘Current King of Singers 2’ in this way.
On the 3rd, Park Seo-jin (30), who met at ‘Switch 22’ located in Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, appeared more humble, feeling like a rookie rather than a winner of a competition program.
Park Seo-jin proudly secured the first place in the MBN competition program ‘Current King of Singers 2’, which ended in February. He said, “Since I have been a singer for a while, I think those experiences served as a foundation to show a good stage,” and looked forward to the upcoming Korea-Japan King of Singers competition. The ‘Korea-Japan King of Singers’ is a music competition program featuring the top 7 trot representatives from Korea and Japan. Park Seo-jin expressed confidence, saying, “I am researching how to decorate the stage. I don’t know much about Japanese culture, but I am carefully looking into it and studying,” and added, “I am preparing while thinking about what kind of stage the Japanese people would like.”
Park Seo-jin started with controversy as a mid-term entrant in ‘Current King of Singers 2’. At that time, the production team stated, “Various rules have been established considering fairness and equity. We are confident that it will be a more entertaining ‘Current King of Singers’.” Afterward, Park Seo-jin, backed by a large fandom, won ‘Current King of Singers 2’. Some criticized it as a result of a ‘fandom battle rather than singing ability’.
Park Seo-jin said, “I personally took it as a fun experience of being brought in as a wild card, but I thought it might appear as a fairness controversy to others. On the other hand, I wondered if I made a wrong choice. I felt sorry and thought I should work harder to show my sincerity.”
He continued, “I had a strong image of not being able to sing, but I wanted to show that Park Seo-jin is a singer who can sing to some extent. I wanted to show that I can do well even in Japan,” explaining his reason for participating. Riding this momentum to victory, he said, “Now I have expectations about whether I can make my name known in Japan. I wanted to challenge myself beyond the domestic stage to overseas.”
Since his debut in 2013, Park Seo-jin has been active as a ‘drum-playing singer’ and ‘God of Janggu’. He reflected, “At first, I was just a singer who sang. Then I saw my senior Park Gu-yoon using scissors to decorate the stage, and I thought I needed something innovative to imprint an image on the public. So, I learned to play the janggu. At first, it was difficult because my hands and singing were separate, but at some point, I saw my hands moving automatically and realized that practice is the best.”
He has already reached his 12th year since debut. In his childhood, he appeared twice on the SBS entertainment program ‘Star King’, showcasing his passion for music. Park Seo-jin said, “I feel like I am becoming more like the image I imagined when I was young. I wonder what I would have done if I hadn’t become a singer. I think I made the right choice in becoming a singer, and I will continue to work hard so that I can become Park Seo-jin no matter what song I sing.”
Will the boy playing the janggu on stage continue to thrive? Park Seo-jin said, “I don’t know if I will be able to play the janggu and sing as I get older, but I am thinking of doing so. In fact, I am a bit worried because my physical condition has deteriorated. However, I want to keep doing what I love, as long as people enjoy watching me play the janggu,” and added, “I think I might play the janggu in a different style later on.”
Park Seo-jin left his agency, Tajo Entertainment, in January and is currently active on his own. He stated, “At present, I think it’s better to be alone rather than joining another agency.”
Through the ‘Korea-Japan King of Singers’, Park Seo-jin has become a growing artist once again. He also expressed, “I want to be a singer who spreads a positive influence.” He mentioned the importance of his fans.
Park Seo-jin said, “Fans are like air to me. They are as vital as life itself,” and added, “Even if I have problems like depression or illness, I think I shouldn’t show it in front of the public. I want to avoid showing such sides and remain a bright and energetic Park Seo-jin.”
Park Seo-jin, who repeatedly mentioned that he loves singing and the stage, said, “It seems that my long-standing depression is being healed through music. I have been told that my personality has brightened up a lot. I am still visiting the hospital and I am improving,” he said cautiously.
In conclusion, Park Seo-jin expressed, “No matter what, I feel the need to work harder in my position. I want to be a singer who excels on stage. I want to remain a singer that people can immediately think of when they hear the name Park Seo-jin.”
Park Seo-jin is set to focus on his activities in the ‘Korea-Japan King of Singers’ following the concert for ‘Current King of Singers 2’ scheduled for the 18th to 20th.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
