Woosung Jang, Who Gave Up His Band to Become a Producer, Finally Completes the Stage He Could Not Finish with Kim Jong-seo... A Historic Reunion After 16 Years

[Sportschosun reporter Jeong Bit] A young man who once put down his guitar and picked up a directing script has returned to the side of a legendary rocker 16 years later.

Woosung Jang, a producer in the entertainment division of Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), will present a special reunion stage with singer Kim Jong-seo. On the YouTube music program it's Live, which will be released on the 18th, Jang will join Kim Jong-seo's band as a guitarist and perform "Winter Rain."

This stage carries meaning beyond a guest appearance. Jang was an original member who took part in the recording of the band Rei's album with Kim Jong-seo in 2010. Although they completed the album recording and production, he never made it to the stage because the schedule overlapped with his preparation for a public recruitment exam at a broadcasting company. Jang later joined MBC and built his career as an entertainment producer, while Kim Jong-seo continued his work at the forefront of rock music.

The performance, realized 16 years later, is an extension of the promise they could not fulfill at the time. Jang said, "I had no choice but to visit Jong-seo hyung before the activities were about to begin and tell him I had to step away," adding, "It is an honor to be on stage together again after 16 years."

Above all, Jang is regarded as one of MBC's leading directors in music and entertainment content. Last year, while directing Show! Music Core, he drew attention for a series of unconventional attempts that went beyond the usual formula of music shows.

For BABYMONSTER's "HOT SAUCE" stage, he paid homage to the Seo Taiji and Boys era by bringing in original host Lim Baek-cheon. WING's beatboxing stage surpassed 4 million views on YouTube, showing new potential for music show clips. Other notable productions included Jini's comeback stage, Dayoung's outdoor performance, NCT WISH's paint-transition direction, the Hearts2Hearts and Pikachu collaboration, and ENHYPEN's intro that felt as if they were walking on water.

The roots of that directing style lie in his own experience as a musician. Jang once worked as the second guitarist for the Kim Kyung-ho Band and toured nationwide while appearing on music show stages. In particular, he has the rare distinction of having performed on Music Camp, the predecessor of Show! Music Core, making his background unusual even among music show directors.

Kim Jong-seo also added special meaning by returning to the stage with a junior musician with whom he made music 16 years ago. Their long-standing connection through rock music has come full circle on one stage after all these years. This performance of "Winter Rain" is expected to be remembered as a special moment where Woosung Jang's past and present meet.

The historic meeting of two masters, one from music and the other from broadcasting, will be shared with viewers around the world at 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 18, through the YouTube MBC music channel it's Live, with the live video of "Winter Rain" performed by Kim Jong-seo's band and MBC's Woosung Jang.

Jeong Bit, rightlight@sportschosun.com