“Girl Who Doesn’t Know Songs”: Sim Soo-bong Takes Aim at 17-Year-Old Kim Da-hyun, Then Apologizes After Website Crash

Official website crashes after inappropriate remarks targeting 17-year-old junior singer at local festival

Singer Sim Soo-bong, 71, officially apologized after facing intense criticism for directing the phrase “girl who doesn’t know songs” at 17-year-old singer Kim Da-hyun, who is 54 years her junior, from the stage at a local festival. As controversy over the inappropriate remarks toward a minor grew so intense that her official website became inaccessible, Sim belatedly acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and bowed her head in apology.

The incident began at a local trot festival held recently, according to the Korean music industry on the 21st. Sim Soo-bong took the stage after Kim Da-hyun. As soon as she picked up the microphone, she said, “The girl who sang up front made my head spin,” adding, “That young lady seems not to know what a song is—or what life is.”

She then told the audience, “Please don’t put that performer on before me,” and raised her voice, saying, “You can’t treat singing casually. You have to experience life and hardship. Music that comforts an audience is never easy.”

As the video quickly spread online, the public response turned sharply negative. Critics said that using terms such as “girl,” “young lady” and “performer” toward a junior singer who is a minor was undignified behavior for a veteran of Sim’s stature. As the backlash spiraled, Sim Soo-bong’s official website was completely blocked after traffic exceeded its capacity.

As the controversy raged, Sim Soo-bong issued an official apology on the afternoon of the 21st, saying she had “quite literally misspoken” and seeking to calm the situation. She said, “The noise at the event caused a great deal of stress,” but clearly acknowledged her wrongdoing, adding, “I have no excuse for saying something so far outside common sense at a festival everyone was supposed to enjoy.” She also said, “I didn’t know exactly who the singer before me was, and I had no intention of humiliating anyone in particular,” while reflecting, “As an adult, I was clearly wrong to hurt the feelings of a junior singer.”

A story shared during the apology process also drew attention. While apologizing directly to Kim Da-hyun and her family, Sim Soo-bong learned that the younger singer had once played the piano and sung Sim’s signature song, “A Million Roses,” at a concert. “Thinking about how much she must have practiced brought tears to my eyes,” Sim said, again expressing her deep regret to the younger singer, her fan club and event organizers.