More than 200 parents took up microphones at the Mapo Cultural Center on October 9, turning the preliminary round of the “National Mom and Dad Singing Contest” into what Sports Seoul called a stage overflowing with life stories rather than just a singing competition.
According to Sports Seoul, the event is part of the 19th Mapo Naru Salted Shrimp Festival and drew over 200 applicants from across Korea. Fathers who had shelved their dreams to provide for their families and mothers who had forgotten their youth while raising children stepped up one by one.
Only 21 of the 200-plus hopefuls, roughly one in ten, will advance to the finals, which take place on October 17 on a special stage at Peace Plaza in Seoul World Cup Park during the festival. Total prize money is 12 million won, with 5 million won going to the grand prize winner. The contest is open to any parent regardless of region or age, while professional singers were excluded.
Director Kim Jong-won named one moment as the most memorable: a father who could barely lift his head on stage finished his song, walked down into the audience, and embraced his waiting child as the tears he had been holding back finally broke through. “As a director, that choked me up,” Kim said, calling the contest “a project that returns youth to parents.”
The finals will feature singers Kim Seong-hwan, Jadu, and Yoon Soo-hyun alongside the contestants, with Kim Jung-yeon hosting.
