An unusual situation occurred on MBC’s variety show ‘King of Mask Singer’ due to protective measures for underage participants. Lee Soo-yeon (14), the trot prodigy, left the show early before revealing her mask.
In the 517th episode of MBC’s ‘King of Mask Singer,’ aired on the 2nd, new masked singers challenged the reigning king ‘Perfect Shooter.’ The participant, who appeared under the name ‘Duck Quack Quack,’ advanced to the third round after defeating MC and actor Ha Ji-young and actor Lee Jung-hyun. In particular, facing off against ‘Autumn Post Office’ in the third round, ‘Duck Quack Quack’ amazed everyone by passionately singing IU’s ‘You and I’ with explosive vocal power and delicate emotions.
In the second match of the second round, ‘Duck Quack Quack’ went up against ‘Teto Girl’ and selected Ailee’s ‘U&I,’ receiving praise from the judges with lively rhythm and refreshing high notes. Park Hye-won said, “There was a feeling of it being filled with solid sound, and the skill that differed from the cute mask was touching,” while Changmin highly praised, “Typically, dance singers use backtracks with vocals, but ‘Duck Quack Quack’ filled the stage only with a live band and her voice.”
In the third round, ‘Duck Quack Quack’ sang IU’s ‘You and I,’ showcasing potential beyond genres with a refreshing voice befitting a teenage girl, stable high notes, and lovely stage manners. However, due to the minor protection regulations, an early departure was decided during the show, causing her to disappear from the stage.
MC Kim Sung-joo explained, “An unexpected situation arose. Among the third-round contestants, there is a child,” and added, “For the protection of the underage contestant, ‘Duck Quack Quack’ left the stage with her parents.” He further mentioned, “We will proceed with the broadcast a bit faster so that the child can hear the results before sleeping,” and Kim Gura acknowledged the situation, saying, “Yes, we should let her go.”
Ultimately, the evaluation of the third round proceeded without ‘Duck Quack Quack.’ Kim Sung-joo lightheartedly remarked, “I don’t know how this will be edited into the broadcast,” and Kim Gura joked, “Pointing fingers at someone who’s not there makes me feel like I’m on a ghost story show.” Although the atmosphere was somewhat awkward, all participants showed warm consideration for the young singer.
By the end of the broadcast, a pre-recorded video was revealed, disclosing ‘Duck Quack Quack’s identity. The protagonist was none other than the trot prodigy, Lee Soo-yeon. She expressed her feelings by saying, “I was really surprised to reach the third round, and it was truly an honor,” and “I was happy to sing on stage.” Lee Soo-yeon also added, “Since it was a competition against senior artists, I thought about doing my best even if only in the first round, but it was an honor to advance to the third round” and “Wearing a mask and singing made the audience curious and guess about my identity, which was fun.” She continued, “My grandmother’s dream was for me to win first place. I want to work harder to make my grandparents proud,” bringing emotions to the audience.
Lee Soo-yeon became known for winning the grand prize in the Gyeongju edition of the National Singing Contest and competed in TV Chosun’s ‘Miss Trot’ Young Talent section, evoking viewers’ emotions by expressing longing for her late father through song. Recently, she has established herself as a next-generation trot star by ranking first in the ‘Blue Dragon Ranking’ female singer category.
Meanwhile, the Korea Communications Commission has been implementing the ‘Standard Production Guidelines for Protecting the Rights and Interests of Child and Youth TV Performers’ since January 2020. According to these guidelines, performers under the age of 15 are prohibited from filming more than 35 hours a week, and filming after midnight is not allowed even with parental consent. It is reported that the ‘King of Mask Singer’ production team also decided on Lee Soo-yeon’s departure in accordance with these regulations.
