Sim Soo-bong issues further apology to Kim Da-hyun, admitting her remarks were "lacking"

Singer Sim Soo-bong bowed her head once again regarding the controversy sparked by her inappropriate remarks toward junior singer Kim Da-hyun. Despite having issued a public apology and conveying her intent to apologize to the party involved, criticism continued. During her first official stage since the controversy, she reflected on her words and actions and offered repeated apologies. As the remarks of a senior singer who has built a long musical career and public trust caused hurt to a junior, Sim focused this time on directly admitting her own shortcomings.

On October 31, Sim Soo-bong took the stage for the '2026 THE Sim Soo-bong SHOW' national tour concert held at Baegun Art Hall in Wonju, Gangwon Province. This was her first official performance since causing controversy in September by publicly expressing uncomfortable feelings toward Kim Da-hyun. During the event, she briefly paused her singing to mention her previous remarks and apologize once more to the audience.

Regarding her previous comments, Sim stated, "It was something I should not have said, stemming from my own lack and inadequacy." She continued, "I have had a time of reflection and repentance, and I will continue to live with that attitude in the future." She repeatedly acknowledged that her words and actions were wrong and expressed her intention to use this incident as an opportunity for self-reflection.

She also added a message for Kim Da-hyun, saying, "It must have been very difficult, but I hope you can pull yourself together and grow into a great musician." This is interpreted as an expression of her hope that the junior singer, who was the subject of the controversy, can overcome the hurt and continue her musical activities. Additionally, she expressed gratitude to those who attended the performance, saying, "I will keep the deep love of the audience and fans who came to the concert even in this situation close to my heart for a long time."

The controversy originated from the 'Jinan Plateau Trot Festival,' a program of the '2026 Jinan Red Ginseng Festival' held in the northern area of Maisan, Jinan County, Jeonbuk, on September 20. At the time, Kim Da-hyun performed before Sim Soo-bong, presenting songs such as "Praise Whale," "I'm the Lottery," "Good Shot!", and "Black Swan." After finishing her performance to the audience's response, she left the stage, after which Sim Soo-bong took the stage to continue the show.

The problematic remarks came after Sim Soo-bong had performed two songs. Instead of calling Kim Da-hyun, who had performed earlier, by her name, she referred to her as "the woman who sang in front." Holding her head, she said, "She made my head dizzy. Is her manager perhaps here?" and added, "It seems like a young lady who does not know what singing is or what life is. It was very difficult while listening to the song."

The remarks did not stop there. Sim said, "Please do not send players in front of me. I feel so dizzy right now I might collapse," and added, "Singing is not something you do so carelessly." She continued with remarks to the effect that one must go through life experiences and hardships to perform music that consoles the audience. Criticism spread online as her expressions were reported to publicly evaluate and disparage the performance of a junior singer.

As the controversy grew, Sim Soo-bong apologized through an official statement. She admitted, "On the 20th, I literally made a slip of the tongue on a stage at a local trot festival while many people were watching." She explained that she usually has concerns and worries about vocal music and that she was indeed stressed by the noise at the venue on the day of the event, but regarding the inappropriate remarks made at the festival site, she stated, "I have nothing to say even if I had ten mouths."

She also offered an explanation that she had no intention of embarrassing a specific person. While explaining that she did not know exactly who the singer performing before her was at the time, she admitted it was clearly a mistake to have hurt the junior singer's feelings as a senior, regardless of her intention. She further stated that she had conveyed her apologies to Kim Da-hyun and her family. She added that after hearing from Kim Da-hyun's father that she had played the piano while singing "A Million Roses" at the concert, her eyes welled up thinking about how much she must have practiced.

A representative for Kim Da-hyun also stated that Sim Soo-bong had conveyed her apologies via telephone at the time. However, it was reported that the two did not encounter each other directly at the event site. It was explained that after Kim Da-hyun performed as the first act and left the stage, their paths did not overlap, including in the waiting rooms.

The repeated apology at the Wonju performance drew attention because Sim Soo-bong mentioned her own wrongdoing in a public setting. In particular, rather than simply explaining the situation at the time, she took responsibility by using the expression "lacking and inadequate" and cheered for Kim Da-hyun's future. However, the hurt caused to the junior singer by a senior's public remarks and the public criticism are not easily erased. Attention is focused on whether this incident will serve as an opportunity to reflect on how important respect and consideration are in the relationship between seniors and juniors in the music industry.

Read the original (Korean)