On the October 19 broadcast of SBS's "The Ballad of Us Season 2" (hereafter referred to as "The Ballad of Us 2"), high praise poured in for the performance of the youngest contestant.
The episode revealed the final stage of Round 1, featuring the youngest contestant, 13-year-old Park Jin-seo.
Ahead of her performance, Park Jin-seo expressed gratitude to her mother, who always accompanies her on a five-hour round trip from Dangjin to Seoul three times a week so she can attend a music academy in Seoul.
Hearing this, Moon Geun-young recalled her grandmother, who took on the role of her manager for over ten years when she worked as a child actor, and drew laughter by saying, "Make sure to listen to your mother."
Park Jin-seo touched the "Top 100 Ears" representatives as she confessed that thinking of her mother—who is even happier when she is happy and even sadder when she is sad—makes her want to succeed even faster.
Park Jin-seo's song choice was also dedicated to her mother. Selecting Yoon Mi-rae's "Good Bye Sadness, Hello Happiness," Park Jin-seo moved viewers by sharing her heartfelt feelings for her mother: "On the day I cried because my singing wasn't going well, my mom cried even more seeing me like that. Then I burst into tears because I felt so sorry to her." She added, "This song's title means saying goodbye to sadness and welcoming happiness, and that is what I really want to say to my mom. I hope mom can let go of sadness and welcome happiness."
Park Jin-seo drew cheers from everyone with a performance that made it hard to believe she is only 13 years old. Cha Tae-hyun marveled, "Isn't Jin-seo the youngest among our contestants? But her soul is the oldest; her soul is the eldest sibling."
Jung Jae-hyung then lavished praise, saying, "I was a bit worried before watching the performance. What if she sounded overly trained? But seeing her on stage, she possessed a sense of rhythm I hadn't seen in anyone, with a truly unique voice distinct from others. It's a voice that feels familiar yet unfamiliar—like a delightful discovery."
Jung Seung-hwan also expressed his awe, saying, "I wondered how hard and preciously she must have practiced holding onto this song every day, yet I felt a tone and sensibility that cannot be achieved through practice alone. That is simply an innate gift." He added, "The moment I saw this masterpiece shaped by effort and talent, it was truly wondrous."
Jung Jae-hyung further expressed his overwhelmed emotions, saying, "She sings well, but I wondered how she could interpret the lyrics so brilliantly. I didn't witness how Jin-seo and her mother have lived, but listening to the song, it felt like the past three years of this mother and daughter flashed before my eyes." He continued, "I felt excited for Jin-seo's future, while also feeling choked up and joyful. I think that heart reached everyone."
Moon Geun-young offered heartfelt encouragement, saying, "I think I'm going to become Jin-seo's number one fan. Auntie will be cheering you on enthusiastically."
Joo Woo-jae remarked, "It truly feels like she lives in a different universe from us. She is so admirable, and this performance felt like a true reward for her mother's sacrifices."
On this day, Park Jin-seo captured the hearts of 148 out of 150 voters, drawing attention by taking second place overall. Cha Tae-hyun joked, "A star has finally emerged from Dangjin," and Park Jin-seo conveyed her feelings to her mother, who would be happier than anyone: "Mom, it must have been so hard for you until now, thank you for continuing to help me, and I love you."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.