Trot singer Ban Gahi gave viewers a look back in time, unveiling a photo from the day she won the grand prize at the Mokpo Song Festival — at just 19 years old.
According to a NewsN report, the moment aired on the October 14 episode of MBN’s “The Legendary Man,” which featured a trot death match between the show’s team and the “Yeocheonhha” women’s team. The opening round pitted the eldest member of each team: Lee Lune against Ban Gahi.
Jang Min-ho teased the pair about their ages, noting Lee Lune was born in 1979 — only for Ban Gahi to address her casually as “Lune-ya,” revealing she was the elder of the two and surprising the studio. When Yang Se-chan pointed out how awkward they seemed, Lee Lune admitted it was their first meeting, then confessed, “I knew her because she won the grand prize at the Mokpo Song Festival I had wanted to enter.”
The photo then shown on screen captured Ban Gahi’s 1993 Mokpo Song Festival grand prize moment. Born in 1974, she was only 19 when she took the top honor — and the 52-year-old’s still-youthful appearance drew plenty of attention.
After the reveal, Lee Lune performed Geum Jandi’s “Sarang Ggom,” while Ban Gahi sang Lee Sun-hee’s “Areumdaun Gangsan.” The matchup ended with Ban Gahi taking the win.
The episode added another memorable chapter to Ban Gahi’s three-decade trot career, with a new generation of singers openly naming her as their inspiration.
