(The CEN News / Reporter Lee Ji-sun) The TOP9 on MBN's King of Active Singers 3 — Hong Ji-yoon, Cha Ji-yeon, Goo Soo-kyung, Solji, Kim Tae-yeon, Kang Hye-yeon, Lee Soo-yeon, Hong Ja and Geum Jan-di — will each deliver a heart-stopping \"song of a lifetime\" as they compete in the live finale that will determine the show’s third champion.
The finale, airing on the 10th, will see the TOP9 face off live for the title and for spots among the seven national representatives headed to the 2026 Korea–Japan showdown. The contest uses a 4,000-point scale: 1,200 points for the first on-site final round, 1,200 for the second on-site final round, 1,200 from live SMS voting, 240 from nationwide support voting, and 160 from new-song streaming scores.
Hong Ji-yoon, known for her rigorous preparation and for building challenging performances, said before her second final-round set, “I want to be an artist who never settles — that’s what being active means to me.” She then poured everything into an emotionally charged final-stage performance.
Cha Ji-yeon, who has branded herself as a commanding force in trot, surprised the room by appearing in a simple hanbok and topknot, makeup-free. She followed with an unforgettable, singular performance that moved both celebrity and public judges to tears and left the studio hushed.
Goo Soo-kyung, who has proven the \"unknown’s uprising\" with an unbeaten run, chose Noh Sa-yeon’s \"The Winding Road\" and wrapped the stage in her signature rock-tinged trot intensity.
Solji called King of Active Singers 3 “like a shot of dopamine that shook up a quiet life.” She said she was stunned to see her name on the adult music chart, then won praise for her well-suited choice of Jo Hang-jo’s \"Time You Can’t Turn Back.\"
Kim Tae-yeon, the teenage powerhouse who admitted she was worried after a vocal change hit just before participating, quickly shifted into a steely performance that drew admiration and prompted observers to say, “many singers might even consider retiring” after hearing it. Kang Hye-yeon, who returned to the show hoping to shake off a reputation as a perennial eighth-place finisher, choked up after finishing first in an earlier nationwide support vote and poured her hopes and dreams into a passionate rendition of Cho Yong-pil’s \"Dream.\"
Lee Soo-yeon, the show’s youngest finalist who narrowly made the second final round, looked unusually tense at first, creating palpable concern. She then delivered a powerful, heartfelt performance inspired by her grandmother’s love that filled the stage.
Despite ongoing vocal challenges — including vocal cord nodules and the flu — Hong Ja said she wanted to give her best final performance “for the fans who have passed,” and her consoling song moved the audience.
Veteran trot star Geum Jan-di, who staged a miraculous comeback, called this challenge “a stage that felt like a savior” and performed a song she says she’s sung since infancy, earning applause as a “born trot singer.”
The production team said the nine finalists have poured everything into preparing their final stages and urged viewers to show support through real-time SMS voting. “Today (the 10th), viewers will decide the third champion of King of Active Singers 3,” the team said.
MBN's King of Active Singers 3 is a music-survival show that pits Korea’s top active singers across genres against one another to select national representatives. Episode 12, the finale, airs live at 9:40 PM on the 10th.
Photo: MBN 'King of Active Singers 3'
(The CEN News) Reporter Lee Ji-sun press@mhns.co.kr
