Lim Chang-jung reveals the behind-the-scenes story of winning the Grand Prize over H.O.T.

Lim Chang-jung, who beat H.O.T. to win the Grand Prize at the 1997 KBS Music Awards, shared his reflections on that moment after 27 years. Appearing as a Golden Star on TV Chosun's 'Gold is Friday,' Lim Chang-jung revealed the backlash he faced after winning the Grand Prize and the birth process of the national favorite song 'A Glass of Soju.'

The Glory of the Grand Prize and the Urgent Recording of 'A Glass of Soju'

After debuting in the 1990 film 'North Korean Partisan in South Korea,' Lim Chang-jung reached his peak as a singer with the release of 'Already to Me' in 1995. In particular, the moment he grabbed the Grand Prize at the 1997 KBS Music Awards, surpassing the then-most popular group H.O.T., is the most intense point in his career. However, behind the glory, there was painful backlash. Lim Chang-jung recalled, "I took all the criticism I would ever receive in my entire life back then," noting that he witnessed fans of other singers leaving the venue during his Grand Prize encore stage. Despite this, the support from fans at the time was strong.

The nationally beloved 'A Glass of Soju' was also born under urgent circumstances. With the schedule being tight until the following week's broadcast, the lyrics were not ready due to communication issues with the lyricist. Lim Chang-jung confessed that he had to write the lyrics himself in the car on his way to the recording session. This song received praise from the cast, including Leeteuk, as "a national favorite that any Korean man would have sung while drinking soju."

Kim Yong-bin's Reinterpretation, a 98-Point Stage that Moved Lim Chang-jung

In this broadcast, Kim Yong-bin's stage reinterpreting Lim Chang-jung's life song followed. The song Kim Yong-bin chose was Kim Jong-chan's 'Love Goes That Way.' Lim Chang-jung has a deep affection for this song, to the point that people around him told him it was his song since he was in the second year of middle school, even before it actually became his. Preferring Kim Jong-chan's husky yet soulful singing style, Lim Chang-jung worried before Kim Yong-bin's stage, saying that Kim Yong-bin, who has a beautiful voice, might find it difficult to pull off the song.

Kim Yong-bin filled the stage with his sorrowful vocals and recorded a karaoke score of 98. Kim Seong-ju commented, "Kim Yong-bin has his own style. It is more sorrowful and sadder." The cast evaluated that, unlike the original song's manly style, he captured the sadness delicately and softly. Surprised by the sensibility of Kim Yong-bin, who was born in 1992, Lim Chang-jung praised him, saying, "If he had sung it first in this era, Kim Yong-bin would have been the original."

The Battle of Icheon High School Seniors and Juniors, Chung Gil's Original Key Challenge Betting on Retirement

A battle between singers from Lim Chang-jung's alma mater, Icheon High School, also took place. In the stage where Chung Gil and Chu Hyuk-jin faced off, Chung Gil revealed that he developed his dream of becoming a singer while watching Lim Chang-jung sing at the school festival during his school days. Chu Hyuk-jin also revealed the connection between the seniors and juniors by mentioning his memory of Chung Gil performing on the school festival stage. Chung Gil burned his bridges by even mentioning his retirement as a singer for this competition.

Chung Gil selected Lim Chang-jung's representative song 'The Love I Committed.' Lim Chang-jung warned that the song is so difficult that even he cannot easily sing it, and that a singer's career could be at risk during a live performance. However, Chung Gil took the challenge at the original key, and Lim Chang-jung was shocked, saying, "You're crazy," as soon as the intro started playing, realizing it was the original key. In response, Chu Hyuk-jin selected Lim Chang-jung's hit song 'Dancing with the Wolf.' Despite being a stage that requires intense choreography and high-level vocal ability, Chu Hyuk-jin delivered an unwavering dance live performance.

The Pleasant Chemistry between Kim Seong-ju and Lim Chang-jung

Lim Chang-jung revealed an anecdote about hosting the first 'Superstar K.' Explaining the background of why the production team brought in Kim Seong-ju after feeling the difficulty of hosting, he joked to Kim Seong-ju, "Kim Seong-ju is a person I made." Kim Seong-ju also showed pleasant chemistry by expressing his gratitude to Lim Chang-jung, saying that he was playing around a lot back then.