Park Jae-jung, who finally scored a hit song after 10 years, says he suffered from muscle tension dysphonia and vocal nodules on 'Happy Together'

[Sportschosun reporter Jo Yoon-sun] Singer Park Jae-jung revealed that he had suffered from vocal nodules and muscle tension dysphonia.

In the third episode of KBS's variety show 'Happy Together: Glad Not to Be Alone,' which airs on Friday the 24th, special MC Kang Min-kyung will meet the life teammates of Group B in the main round, alongside the 'glasses trio' Yoo Jae-suk, Jang Hang-joon, and Yoon Jong-shin. Among them, Park Jae-jung is drawing attention for joining the audition with his close friend and lesser-known singer Joo Sick, where the two will perform their first duet stage.

Joo Sick is a singer whose song 'Think of You' has surpassed 120 million cumulative streams, and he is also the original artist behind the 'I Guess I'm...' challenge. Park Jae-jung said, "You have a hit song, but no public recognition, while I was the opposite. We've been giving each other advice and growing closer for five years now," expressing his affection. Joo Sick then vented his frustration, saying, "I thought everyone would recognize me once my songs became famous, but that wasn't the case." He added, "Recently, at a barbecue restaurant, they gave me a raw beef dish and said, 'We prepared this specially for Mr. Jae-jung.' That day, it hurt more than usual." His heartfelt story drew laughter from those around him. At that moment, Yoon Jong-shin cut in with, "So you didn't eat the raw beef?" and Kang Min-kyung chimed in, "It only counts if you don't eat it, right?" Park Jae-jung then exposed him by saying, "He ate it all without hesitation," turning the set into a sea of laughter with their close-friend banter.

Joo Sick also reportedly had everyone in stitches by revealing the unexpected reason he changed his stage name during his career. He said, "At first, I performed under my real name, Yoon Joo-sik, but the comments were only about Samsung Electronics' stock price. When I searched my name on YouTube, only Chairman Lee Jae-yong's name came up. So I eventually changed it to 'Joo Sick,'" sharing the bittersweet story and drawing laughter.

Meanwhile, Park Jae-jung also drew attention by confessing that even in his 13th year since debut, he still feels a strong hunger for the stage. He said, "After 'Let's Say Goodbye,' I suffered from vocal nodules and muscle tension dysphonia. I had finally gotten a hit song after 10 years and was promoting it, but in that situation, I desperately wanted to sing." He added, "I'm now about 70 percent recovered, and I went back to my original mindset to sing again," moving viewers with his sincerity toward music. Yoon Jong-shin, who discovered Park Jae-jung on 'Superstar K5' and later became his mentor, reportedly praised him, saying, "I listened to the songs Jae-jung has recently written, and they were so good. I felt like he had finally come together as an artist."

Meanwhile, Park Jae-jung and Joo Sick are set to perform their first duet stage with Kangta's 'Polaris,' raising curiosity. Interest is especially high because it will be Joo Sick's first televised stage since his debut. Viewers are now eager to see what their main performance, which carries the story of their long friendship, will be like, and anticipation for the upcoming broadcast of 'Happy Together' is rising sharply.

KBS2's variety show 'Happy Together: Glad Not to Be Alone' airs every Friday at 8:30 p.m.

This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.