Sim Soo Bong apologizes to Kim Da-hyun after controversial remarks

Singer Sim Soo Bong has issued a formal apology, defining her public criticism of junior singer Kim Da-hyun as a "slip of the tongue." After making remarks on stage toward the 17-year-old to the effect of, "A young lady who doesn't even know what singing is or what life is," Sim bowed her head just one day later. During the apology process, she revealed that she belatedly learned Kim had personally played the piano and performed her signature song, "One Million Roses."

The controversy erupted during the 10th Jinan Plateau Trot Festival held on the 20th in the northern area of Maisan Mountain, Jinan County, Jeonbuk State. After Kim took the stage first, Sim continued the performance. During her set, Sim mentioned the junior singer who performed before her, saying, "It seems like a young lady who doesn't even know what singing is or what life is."

She continued with remarks to the effect of, "Please do not send that performer out in front of me," adding, "Singing is not something you do so carelessly. You must experience life and go through hardships," thereby referencing the meaning of music and a singer's experience. As video of the scene spread online, criticisms arose regarding whether it was appropriate to publicly single out and criticize a minor who is 54 years her junior on a public stage.

In particular, the core of the controversy did not lie solely in the content of the musical evaluation. The impact grew as Sim referred to Kim as a "girl," "young lady," and "performer," creating a situation where she was evaluating both the junior's musical capabilities and life experiences in a public setting. Interest was so intense that Sim's official website was temporarily difficult to access.

On the 21st, Sim released an official apology, stating, "On September 20, I made a literal slip of the tongue on a stage at a local trot festival while many people were watching." While explaining that she was stressed by the noise at the venue that day and had been preoccupied with thoughts regarding music, she apologized, noting there was no excuse for making remarks that deviated from common sense on a festival stage.

Sim also explained that she did not know exactly who the preceding performer was at the time. While stating that her remarks were not intended to humiliate a specific person, she admitted, "As an adult, it was clearly wrong to say words that would hurt the heart of a junior singer," and revealed that she had conveyed her apology directly to Kim and her family.

However, during the apology process, an unexpected fact was conveyed to Sim. Through Kim's father, Kim Bong-gon, she learned that Kim had personally played the piano and performed Sim's signature song "One Million Roses" during her first nationwide tour concert.

After hearing this story, Sim expressed her feelings, saying, "My eyes welled up when I thought about how much she must have practiced." It turned out that the junior singer she criticized on stage had actually respected her music and had chosen to perform it by playing the piano as the opening song of her own stage.

"One Million Roses" is one of the representative songs that symbolizes Sim's musical world. Since gaining fame through the MBC College Musicians Festival in 1978, she has built a unique domain in the history of Korean popular music by releasing numerous hits such as "The Man from Back Then" and "Men Are Ships, Women Are Harbors."

For Kim, "One Million Roses" was not merely consumed as a hit song by a senior singer. The fact that she chose this song for her first nationwide tour concert and accompanied it with her own piano playing can be interpreted as the young junior singer attempting to interpret Sim's music in her own way for the audience. The fact that Sim only learned this after the controversy leaves an even more ironic scene.

Kim is the daughter of Kim Bong-gon, known as the "Cheonghak-dong Teacher," and has gained fame since childhood through trot competition programs. She is a singer who has built stage experience at a young age by appearing on MBN's "Voice Trot," TV CHOSUN's "Miss Trot 2," and MBN's "The Best K-Trot Singer."

Immediately after the controversy, Kim's father, Kim Bong-gon, reported that his daughter was greatly shocked and shed tears after directly encountering Sim's remarks. He explained that although Kim had already left the venue after finishing her performance, she heard Sim's remarks while monitoring her own stage. However, it is necessary to distinguish that these specific feelings were conveyed through Kim Bong-gon's explanation rather than Kim herself issuing a separate official statement.

In her apology, Sim extended her apologies not only to Kim but also to her family, fan clubs, event organizers, and the audience. She also sought to resolve the situation by explaining that the local festival in Jinan should be viewed separately from the controversy surrounding her remarks.

This incident serves as an example of how the traditional relationship between "senior authority" and "junior respect" in the Korean trot industry functions before the public today. While strict musical standards or advice from a senior are not inherently problematic, publicly singling out a specific junior to evaluate them on a festival stage can place a significant burden on the individual, regardless of intent.

Notably, there is a 54-year age gap between Sim and Kim. One is a veteran who has lived through major moments in Korean popular music history, while the other is a teenage singer still in her growing years. The musical generational gap between the two, sharing the same stage, has instead highlighted the need for deeper understanding and respect.

Ultimately, the most poignant element of this incident is "One Million Roses," positioned between the criticism and the apology. Sim threw sharp words without knowing that her young junior had cherished her music, while that same junior had already been blooming her music anew on her own stage through her own performance.

While Sim's apology may not completely erase the controversy, her public admission that her remarks were wrong and her expression of emotion upon learning of Kim's efforts are significant. The incident leaves behind questions regarding how the next generation receives the songs of an era-defining singer and how seniors and juniors should continue their musical dialogue.