'Unknown Legend' Shin Sung and Choi Woo-jin Shockingly Eliminated.. 14 Contestants Advance to Semi-Finals [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

'Unknown Legend' has announced the 14th contestants advancing to the semi-finals.

According to Nielsen Korea, the ratings research company, the ninth episode of MBN's 'Unknown Legend: Trot Men's Hierarchy War' (hereinafter 'Unknown Legend'), aired on the 22nd, recorded a peak viewership rate of 7.85% among paid households. The program maintained its position as the number one variety show on Wednesdays for nine consecutive weeks, securing the top spot in its time slot across all channels and among all comprehensive programming channels.

Following the eighth episode, the third round of the main competition, 'National Song Daejeon,' featuring songs by four legends who have been Min Ga-yo-reul (CEO), Choi Baek-ho, Jeon Young-rok, Jang Yun-jeong, and Kim Jin-yong, was held. With only the final team stage of the first round's 'Team Medley Battle' remaining to carry the momentum from the first round, the team 'Glory of the Unknown,' led by team rookie and leader Kwak Young-gwang, who finished fifth in the previous main competition's second round 'One-on-One Death Match,' was revealed.

'Glory of the Unknown' is a team composed entirely of unknown artists, led by Kwak Young-gwang, along with Hanagang, Marcus Kang, and Ji Young-il. Challenging Golden Star Jeon Young-rok's medley, they delivered a series of performances with 'Is It Still a Dark Night,' 'Love Is Like Rainwater Outside the Window,' and 'Don't Think About It,' overwhelming the venue with stage performances and vocal prowess comparable to an ending stage. In response, Jang Yun-jeong praised them, saying, "You don't look like unknowns at all," and the first round 'Team Medley Battle' concluded with the top production team scoring 886 points.

The first round 'Team Medley Battle' concluded with a very close contest, with minimal gaps between first and sixth place, leaving room for comebacks. In the subsequent second round 'Top Ace Battle,' each team's ace took the stage, risking everything to turn the tables at the final moment. Jeong Yeon-ho, leader of the team 'Yeonho's Jinppong Premium,' which faced elimination after finishing sixth in the first round, selected Lee Mi-ja's 'Old Person' as a strategic move in traditional trot, leading the stage with a deep voice despite the heavy responsibility of being both the youngest and the leader. Teammates Shin Sung and Choi Woo-jin, watching from the sidelines, were moved to tears. Jeong Yeon-ho quickly narrowed the first-round point gap, recording 932 points amid high praise from the top production team.

Kim Tae-woong, the youngest leader of 'Sim Kuungdan,' which finished third in the first round, selected Jang Yun-jeong's 'Slow Train to Mokpo.' Despite vocal difficulties, he took the stage and proved his presence with deep emotion. Jang Yun-jeong highly evaluated his potential, calling him "a child who will become big," while also acknowledging his "ace quality" with a self-deprecating exclamation, "What can we do about our children?" Kim Tae-woong recorded 916 points, shedding tears of regret.

Jang Han-byul of the team 'Romance Has Jiwoo' stepped in as the ace, replacing leader Ji Woo, whose vocal condition was poor. Facing elimination after finishing fourth in the final first round, they chose Kim Jin-yong's composition and Kim Dong-hwan's 'Burying the Pain,' driven by the burden and desperation of replacing the leader. They showcased explosive vocal power. Ju Hyun-mi praised them, saying, "A voice like a waterfall," while the original composer Kim Jin-yong expressed his hope that they would sing many songs in Korea, contributing to the top production team's score of 928 points.

A fierce battle among the top-ranked teams to overturn the narrow point gap also ignited. Lee Chang-min, leader of 'Ttechang Min-guk,' which finished second in the 'Team Medley,' chose Jeon Young-rok's 'White Night' as his decisive song amidst unprecedented tension and pressure. He perfectly mastered the extremely high-pitched notes, dominating the stage. Ju Hyun-mi exclaimed, "He's as cunning as a fox," while the original composer Jeon Young-rok remarked, "He's sharpened his sword." Lee Chang-min delivered a powerful blow to turn the tide, recording a high score of 940 points from the top production team.

Amid heightened tension over Lee Chang-min's exceptionally high score, Haru, leader of the team 'Haru On Jongil,' took the stage to defend first place. Combining piano performance with trot, he unleashed his signature move, breaking the jinx of poor individual performance during the first round's 'Team Death Match.' With Jang Yun-jeong's praise that "removing the 'unknown' label will be no big deal," Haru recorded the highest score of 941 points from the top production team, leading his team to victory.

Kwak Young-gwang, leader of 'Glory of the Unknown,' which finished fifth in the 'Team Medley Battle,' stated, "The fate of my team members rests on me," and took the stage under pressure. After reviewing over 200 songs, he selected Kim Ji-ae's 'Cruel Person,' composed by Jeon Young-rok. Kwak Young-gwang showcased his strengths with a witty performance. Jeon Young-rok praised him, saying, "He sang it so deliciously well," and the second round 'Top Ace Battle' concluded with a score of 915 points.

Amid an all-out battle to solidify the top rankings and escape elimination for the bottom teams, the combined scores from the top production team and the public production team across the first and second rounds revealed that the team 'Haru On Jongil' secured first place with 2,195 points. Haru, Hwang Yoon-seong, Lee Dae-hwan, Park Min-su, and Choi Jong-won all celebrated their success in advancing to the semi-finals. Meanwhile, the team 'Ttechang Min-guk,' which finished second with just a two-point gap at 2,193 points, along with third-place 'Sim Kuungdan,' fourth-place 'Romance Has Jiwoo,' fifth-place 'Yeonho's Jinppong Premium,' and sixth-place 'Glory of the Unknown,' saw all their members listed as candidates for elimination.

Amid the emotional rollercoaster of elimination and acceptance, the final additional contestant who defied expectations was announced. Lee Chang-min, Jeong Yeon-ho, Kim Tae-woong, Jang Han-byul, Seong Ri, Kwak Hee-seong, Lee Ru-ne, Kwak Young-gwang, and Hanagang dramatically joined the semi-finals. Meanwhile, strong contenders for the championship, including Shin Sung, Choi Woo-jin, and Lee Do-jin, were eliminated in succession, delivering shock. Additionally, the newly formed TOP3 through the third round of the main competition saw Haru in first place and Lee Chang-min in second. Jang Han-byul, who took third place, entered the rankings for the first time and shed tears, apologizing to her team leader Ji Woo and teammates, saying, "I feel so sorry for taking your spot."

'Unknown Legend,' where rankings fluctuate every episode with the participation of established stars and emerging dark horses, is making the outcome of the final even harder to predict. Having proven its high popularity by recording the number one variety show viewership on Wednesdays for nine consecutive weeks, the program's recent released competition songs are also showing strong performance on music charts, further supporting its popularity. The songs from the second round 'Top Ace Battle' of the third round of the main competition, 'National Song Daejeon,' will be released at noon on the 23rd across various music platforms.

'Unknown Legend,' where only 14 contestants survived after fierce competition, will air its tenth episode, featuring the fiery performances of the 14th who have advanced to the semi-finals, the final gateway to the finals, as a 'Semi-Final Special Broadcast' on MBN at 9:10 PM on the 29th.

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*This content was translated by AI.