Sung Shi Kyung: “The Format of MBC ‘I Am a Singer’ Makes Me Uncomfortable"

Sung Shi Kyung shared his feelings regarding the MBC reality show, “Survival: I Am a Singer.” Although he has repeatedly been asked to participate in the show, Sung Shi Kyung has continually declined and revealed the reason, stating, “I understand its function but I feel uncomfortable with its format.”

In a recent interview he said, “How can you compare the musical talent of Jang Pil Soon and Mariah Carey? It’s great that singers like Park Jung Hyun and Kim Bum Soo have become more widely known and that people acknowledge the vocal prowess of Jo Kwan Woo and Jang Hye Jin. However, I don’t feel comfortable with the format of ‘I Am a Singer.’ It would probably be better if the person ranked first was honorably disqualified.”

“To a program that places so much emphasis on belting songs out, I’d be a useless singer,” and he emphasized the idea that it was not necessary to be featured on the show in order to be acknowledged as a singer.

From the very beginning of the show when Kim Young Hee was the PD, he was asked to be on the show and the requests continued even after Shin Jung Soo took over the reins. Sung Shi Kyung confessed, “Honestly, there was a time when I was tempted, but I refused, saying I couldn’t take part under such a format.”