'Star Audition' winner sweeping music scene

Baek Chung-gang poses before the final round of MBC's "Star Audition: The Great Birth" which aired last Friday. / Yonhap

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By Chung Ah-young

Chinese-Korean singer Baek Chung-gang is sweeping music download charts and is currently the talk of the town after being named the final winner of MBC's "Star Audition: The Great Birth", which aired last Friday.

In the final round, Baek defeated Lee Tae-kwon, who also made a significant improvement during the show thanks to the instruction of mentor Kim Tae-won, a well-known rock guitarist. Kim also mentored Baek.

The 22-year-old winner performed "We Depart, Stars Glisten", a song specially written by Kim for Baek that has gone on to immediately top the major music rankings, proving his soaring popularity with the public.

The song was inspired by Kim's initial impression of Baek, who was like a "beast with many wounds" when he first met him in China.
Baek was criticized for mimicking other singers' singing styles and nasal sounds by his mentor in the early parts of the show but he overcame these problems. Through enormous efforts he also managed to build a wide fan base here.

Before the final round, Baek said that if he wins, he would donate half the prize money to the underprivileged. After winning the competition, he said that he would keep his promise, receiving much approval from the audience.

"I want to be a good singer who listens to criticism from mentors. It was a tough competition because the program is a survival format but I feel sorry for Lee Tae-kwon", he said.

Baek will receive 100 million won in prize money and 200 million won to finance an album release as well as a high-end sedan.
A number of Koreans and Chinese-Koreans living here have eagerly supported him. Baek sang Korean songs to make a living in Yanbian, a Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin Province, Northeastern China.

MBC's "Star Audition" began airing last November and was immensely popular with viewers. At first, the program was considered an imitation of "Superstar K", but the producers put more emphasis on the mentoring system and the program is making its own way.

The five mentors - singers Lee Eun-mi, Kim Yoon-ah, Kim Tae-won, Shin Seung-hun and songwriter Bang Si-hyuk - have guided the participants in their own style, which sets it apart from other shows.