[Sportschosun Reporter Kim So-hee] Singer Jeong Mi Jo explained why she left the Korean popular music scene at the height of her career.
On Saturday night, the 42nd episode of Maeil Broadcasting Network (MBN)’s “Kim Joo-ha’s Day & Night,” which aired at 9:40 p.m. on the 12th, featured Song Chang-sik explaining how his wife and her twin sister, his sister-in-law, wanted to adopt a child from the United States. After making inquiries, they brought one child home, but he said that overseas adoption subsequently became more difficult institutionally. Song Chang-sik said, “We couldn’t send the child back, so we decided to raise the child ourselves.” Later, when the child his sister-in-law had given birth to in the United States also became difficult to raise alone, they decided, “Let’s bring this child home, too.” Song Chang-sik said he ultimately adopted two children because of his sister-in-law, and his distinctive broad, mask-like smile brought warmth to the show.
Jeong Mi Jo confessed that she had no desire to become a famous singer or star or to make a lot of money when she suddenly left the music scene at the peak of her popularity. “I had absolutely no desire to become a famous singer or a star and make a lot of money,” she said. She explained that she had started singing simply because she loved it and planned to stop once she felt she had sung enough. After studying art in Paris, Jeong Mi Jo spent 22 years as an art college professor and lived a completely different life. She said she returned to singing 37 years later after unexpectedly meeting Choi Baek-ho. Choi Baek-ho encouraged her, asking, “Your voice still sounds good, so why don’t you sing?” He even introduced her to an album producer, making her miraculous return to music possible and leaving a deep impression.
Song Chang-sik candidly shared his signature positive outlook on life, along with the story of being imprisoned for 21 days for failing to attend reserve forces training. He said the jazz harmony he had been studying for orchestral arrangements had made no progress outside, but that he completed it perfectly during his 21 days in prison. His exclamation, “A jail cell is the best place to study!” prompted loud laughter.
Jeong Mi Jo expressed her deep emotion at seeing young people in their 20s and 30s passionately embrace her music. When Moon Se-yoon and ZOZAZZ showered praise on “Adult,” the soundtrack from the drama My Mister that Jeong Mi Jo remade and turned into a major topic of conversation, she said, “I find it amazing, too,” expressing her surprise at the cross-generational response.
That day, Song Chang-sik performed “At Least Once,” “Why Are You Calling Me,” and “We,” while Jeong Mi Jo sang “National Route 7,” delivering outstanding performances. Their distinctive voices, undiminished by the passage of decades, brought back memories and emotions and moved viewers with their heartfelt resonance.
Viewers shared a range of reactions, including, “Teacher Song Chang-sik says he doesn’t know what ordinary love is, but he gives such warm love to his wife and even the family he adopted,” and, “Why am I suddenly crying while listening to Song Chang-sik and Jeong Mi Jo’s songs? I’m getting emotional.”
Meanwhile, MBN’s issue-focused talk show “Kim Joo-ha’s Day & Night” airs every Saturday at 9:40 p.m.
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
