How did this come about? Well it turns out a singer, who was previously active under the name of Han Kyung Il, auditioned for the show as a contestant with the name of Park Jae Han. When asked what he does for a living, Park Jae Han answered that he teaches singing and that he did release albums before, but that it didn't end up working out so well.
After listening to him sing, when it was time for the judges to decide whether Park Jae Han should move on to the next round, Jo Kwon gave his opinions saying, "It's not that you can't sing, you do sing pretty well. Maybe it's because of the deep cut shirt you're wearing, but the song kind of felt cheesy to me. To be honest, there are a lot of people who sing as well as you do. There are people who sing really well at karaoke... For me today, I just didn't receive that much of a feel from you. I think you also lack a bit of unique individuality. So unfortunately, I will have to say no."
After Jo Kwon disqualified him, second judge Hyun Mi qualified him as she said, "I do wish that there was more of a deeper sound to it. I don't know if it's too much to request all this from an amateur, but I think that you have a great tone and there is potential, so it's a yes for me."
Lee Seung Chul, as the last judge, started getting curious about Park Jae Han and asked him several questions about his past, even asking him to sing his own song. He then sang a song called "Half of My Life", which shocked them as they all knew the famous tune. When Jo Kwon realized who 'Park Jae Han' was, he gasped and looked obviously flustered as he said, "He's a sunbaenim!". Redeeming himself with his own song, Park Jae Han aka Han Kyung Il, earned a pass from Lee Seung Chul, getting him into the next round.
When asked about using a different name, Han Kyung Il revealed that he had used the name Park Jae Han for the audition because he thought it would otherwise give him an unfair advantage over the other contestants. On why he quit being a singer when he had actually received quite a bit of fame and a lot of from the public, he revealed that his agency had tried out a noise marketing scheme that ended up backfiring and ending his career. The noise marketing the agency had come up with was to pretend that Han Kyung Il had suddenly missed all his schedules for the week for no good reason. Although it did bring him more attention, the public and broadcast reps looked upon him badly and it ended up killing his career.
After the broadcast, some of the viewers (especially ones who remembered Han Kyung Il) aimed their criticisms toward Jo Kwon, commenting, "Who picked Jo Kwon to be a judge? Does he even have the qualification?", "I don't think Jo Kwon realized he's not even near the same level as Han Kyung Il", and "I have no words for Jo Kwon's arrogance".
At the same time, many fired back at the negative comments, saying, "Jo Kwon has been singing since he was a trainee in 2000, so he's been singing for 13 years. He is qualified", "Didn't you see that Jo Kwon was obviously uncomfortable too when he realized Han Kyung Il was a sunbae?", and "Jo Kwon wasn't arrogant at all".
In response, Jo Kwon spoke up on his Twitter,
Personally, I hate writing things like this. But I've decided to write down my thoughts because the reality that I'm becoming judged like this is cruel. Since I was given the title of a judge, it means I was given the right to judge. When I was a student, I used to sing ["Half of My Life"] with my friends as well. Since then, 10 years passed, and I debuted after after being a trainee for 8 years, and now I am a singer that has debuted for 5 years. I am still a hoobae who is much below the sunbaenim... But my song can touch some people, while some may just think of me as just a lousy vocal.. But everyone's lives are all different, and I worked hard and endured things to come all the way here. Although some people call me an icon, while others think I'm someone who just fools around, I am just using the talents I've been given gratefully. I know that there is a lot of people who remember me for my kkap, not my singing.. For me, the heavy seat of being the judge isn't easy either, and there were parts that were edited out. I think, in one way, everyone is given the right to judge. I was in the seat of the judge, and I did my best to judge. It was a seat that was difficult for me, and it's upsetting that I'm getting so harshly criticized for my own thoughts. I know that not everyone can agree because everyone's opinions are all different, but it is a shame that my seat as a judge is being questioned just because a hoobae judged a sunbae. A lot of time has passed, and the times have changed, but I'm very sorry that I did not recognize you sunbaenim [Han Kyung Il] . As Lee Seung Chul sunbaenim said, someone who is a once singer is always a singer. To me, you will always be my sunbaenim.
You can check out the judging portion cut above, but if you want to listen to Han Kyung Il's full audition, you can check out the cuts below.
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