Singer Bae Chul Soo Harshly Criticizes Lip-Syncing in Korea

Bae Chul Soo has slammed the Korean music industry’s use of lip-syncing.

His highly critical comments were heard during the South Korean live broadcast of the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, which aired on February 9 at 10 a.m. KST on Mnet. Following Bae Chul Soo’s high praise of the award show’s spectacular live performances, he and music critic Lim Jin Mo’s discussion then shifted to Milli Vanilli, an R&B group whose Best New Artist Grammy was rescinded after it was learned that their songs were recorded using other singers’ vocals.

At this, Bae Chul Soo began criticizing lip-syncing in Korea, saying, “In Korea, there are too many instances where artists either lip-sync or even just go on stage while recorded music plays in the background.” Lim Jin Mo then chimed in, explaining, “That’s the result of flashy performances being prioritized over actual singing.”

Bae Chul Soo went so far as to suggest banning lip-syncing altogether, saying, “It would be great if we could make lip-syncing illegal. It’s a shame that I’m not a member of the National Assembly and can’t propose that kind of bill. I recognize that lip-syncing is a type of performance, but let’s call those people ‘lip-syncers,’ not ‘singers.’”

Bae Chul Soo is widely known for his love of music and is an influential voice in the Korean music scene. He is the DJ of radio program “Bae Chul Soo’s Music Camp” and former member of rock band Songolmae.