[Kang Il-hong's Close-up] Shim Soo-bong, digging her own grave with 'self-contradiction'... 'Sniping' becomes a boomerang

Kim Da-hyun's 'Public Denunciation' Aftermath... Flood of Criticism Over Terms 'Girl,' 'Young Lady,' 'Athlete'Apologized "Speechless Even With Ten Mouths" Late, But the Wounds RemainSinger Shim Soo-bong's remarks, made on stage at the '10th Jinan Plateau Trot Festival' in Jinan-gun, Jeollabuk-do on the 20th, publicly mentioning junior singer Kim Da-hyun, have been causing ripples for a week. / THE FACT DB, AI Image[THE FACT|Reporter Kang Il-hong] Those who hold a microphone on stage bear a special responsibility. This is especially true for 'legends' who have been loved by the public for decades. The weight of their words is different from that of a rookie, and the ripple effect on juniors and colleagues is on another level.However, singer Shim Soo-bong herself cast aside that weight. Shim Soo-bong received intense public criticism for her remarks made on stage at the 'Jinan Plateau Trot Festival' in Jinan-gun, Jeollabuk-do, just before the Chuseok holiday, where she publicly mentioned junior singer Kim Da-hyun. She became a topic of interest throughout the holiday. Shim Soo-bong, who took the stage immediately after Kim Da-hyun, said the following:"You've made my head spin like this. She seems like a young lady who doesn't know what singing is or what life is. Please, don't send out someone who is like an athlete, an athlete, an athlete in front of me, from now on. You don't just do singing like this (repeats the same phrase twice). It's not easy to make music that comforts everyone who has come here after experiencing life and hardship."The issue is not simply a matter of musical preference. A senior singer can have a different opinion on a junior's singing style or musical direction. That in itself is not wrong. However, publicly demeaning a junior, who is a full 54 years younger, on a public festival stage, in front of countless audience members, is an entirely different matter."You've made my head spin like this. She seems like a young lady who doesn't know what singing is or what life is. Please, don't send out someone who is like an athlete, an athlete, an athlete in front of me, from now on." / YouTube Capture◆ Disparaging Behavior Using Terms 'Girl,' 'Young Lady,' 'Athlete' Instead of NameFurthermore, by ignoring her name with terms like 'girl,' 'young lady,' and 'athlete,' it appeared to be an act of thorough disparagement, leaving the impression of erasing not only her existence as a singer but also her as a human being. It's understandable why it was perceived as a public reprimand of a person rather than criticism of her music.As the public well knows, Kim Da-hyun is not simply a rookie who has just stepped onto the stage. She is a singer who has made her name known to the public by achieving top rankings in MBN's 'Voice Trot' (runner-up), TV Chosun's 'Miss Trot 2,' and MBN's 'Hyunyeok-ga-wang.' Although she is still a teenager, she has already secured a considerable fandom and established a foundation for her activities.Is it truly advice from a senior to say to such a singer in public, "You shouldn't do singing carelessly"? Or is it unilaterally imposing her own musical standards on the other person? What's important is not whether you agree with Shim Soo-bong's musical philosophy. Musical opinions can differ, but there is a clear line between criticism of music and publicly belittling a person.As criticism poured in, Shim Soo-bong eventually had to issue a formal apology. She stated, "I have nothing to say, even with ten mouths, for uttering words that went against common sense at an inappropriate moment during a trot festival where everyone should be laughing and enjoying themselves." She added an explanation, "I was under a lot of stress due to the noise on the day of the event."◆ Public Condemnation, Narrow-Mindedness Towards a Young Singer Receiving ApplauseDespite these explanations, the doubts remain. Can 'stress' be a reason to justify such words? Of course, anyone can become emotionally agitated at times. However, from the moment one holds a microphone on stage, those words are not a private monologue. Countless people are listening, filming, and sharing them online. It should have been even more cautious, especially when the other person is a 17-year-old junior singer.Shim Soo-bong herself admitted in her apology that her words were "against common sense." The issue of common sense, what exactly was wrong? It is already contained within Shim Soo-bong's own words. While Shim Soo-bong may not have liked Kim Da-hyun's performance based on her musical standards, it does not grant her the right to judge her character in public.If she wanted to give advice to her junior, she could have spoken quietly backstage, or if their musical views differed, she could have demonstrated it through her own music. Saying to a specific junior in front of the public, "Don't send her out in front of me anymore," is not advice but rather public pressure, and can only be seen as narrow-mindedness towards a young singer receiving applause.As a result, a single emotional remark by a singer instantly ignited the online world, placing Jinan-gun and its officials, who prepared the festival, in the center of the controversy. It's an unavoidable and difficult situation for local officials who scouted performers and prepared the stage. It can only be remembered as an unsightly scene for the audience who attended the festival.◆ For a Legend Who Has Been on Stage for Nearly 50 Years, the Weight of a Mistake Should Also Be DifferentWhat is most heartbreaking is that the person in question, Kim Da-hyun, is still a teenager. For a 17-year-old singer, the stage should be a dream. It should be a process of making her own music while making mistakes and growing. However, instead of embracing and encouraging her as a senior singer, she created a wound that will be unforgettable for a lifetime.As it turns out, Shim Soo-bong herself did not have a smooth musical career. After attending a dinner hosted by former President Park Chung-hee during the October 26th incident in 1979, she faced significant restrictions on her broadcast activities, experiencing long hiatuses and psychological difficulties. She recently revealed on a broadcast that she "couldn't hold a guitar at all after the October 26th incident, but recently picked it up again," indicating it remained a scar on her musical life for a long time.Past suffering cannot be a get-out-of-jail-free card to justify present rudeness. That's why this incident is even more regrettable. If one considers their own past suffering as deep and precious, while thinking lightly of the wounds a junior might receive, it can be said that the balance of empathy is lost. Shim Soo-bong stated, "It was not said to humiliate a specific person," but ultimately, if she hurt the other person, she cannot escape that responsibility.The most bitter scene left by this controversy is that the person who told her junior, "Don't do singing carelessly," never considered how much pain and ripple effect her own words could create. Anyone can make a mistake on stage, but for a legend who has been on stage for nearly 50 years, the weight of a mistake should be different. Is this something that can be easily resolved with a few words of apology? This is the most ironic self-contradiction shown by this situation.eel@tf.co.kr