The senior master group has gathered together for the first time in a long time.

TV CHOSUN‘s ‘Mr. Trot 3’, which will be aired for the first time on the 19th, is the original trot audition show that created a trot craze in Korea.

‘Mr. Trot 3’ declares groundbreaking changes such as the abolition of age restrictions, a changed judging method, and special benefits for advancing to Japan, along with the overwhelming scale worthy of an irreplaceable trot powerhouse. Amidst extraordinary interest in who will become the third trot emperor, ‘Mr. Trot 3’ is drawing attention for the most splendid and solid lineup of masters in the series’ history.

In particular, the five who rose to stardom in Korea by making it to the final TOP7 in the first season of ‘Mr. Trot’ in 2020 have joined forces as the senior master group, drawing attention. This is the first time since ‘Miss Trot 2’ that all five of Jang Min-ho, Young Tak, Kim Hee-jae, Lee Chan-won, and Jeong Dong-won will be judging together in one place. Only the winner Lim Young-woong is not present.

The first preliminary stage of ‘Mr. Trot 3’ announced a change in the judging method where even if one master group gives ‘All Hearts’, the contestant must receive a majority of hearts from the other master group. This change is intended to ensure fairness. Accordingly, the tense conflict of opinions between the senior master group and the national master group is expected to complete the master audition that is more exciting than ever.

In the meantime, the five senior masters will share the points to watch.



● Jang Min-ho “First recording festival atmosphere… The contestants and the master‘s seat got so close that I could even feel their breathing“

Jang Min-ho said, ”The first recording had a festive atmosphere. The stage and sincerity that were full of love for trot were directly conveyed to the master. In particular, the distance between the contestants and the master’s seat became closer than last season. Thanks to this, I could feel not only the songs but also the detailed expressions and breathing of the contestants.“

Jang Min-ho said, ”The departments I‘m most looking forward to are the office department and the active duty department X. I was very touched as the master because the earnestness of the contestants was conveyed. If you watch the broadcast while looking forward to which contestants will participate, you’ll be surprised.“



● Young Tak, ”I was surprised by the talent in the youth department that was beyond my imagination.“

Young Tak said, ”I have new emotions thinking back to 5 years ago when I was a contestant. I sincerely hope that the contestants will perform well on stage without making any mistakes as they have prepared,” he said. “I was amazed by the talent in the (youth division) that was beyond my imagination. I look forward to the future of the youth division.”

Young Tak said, “I have a favorite in my heart. That contestant’s stage resonated with me indescribably. I hope they sing well and cheer them on.”



● Kim Hee-jae, “I have a favorite in my heart… I cried so much.”

Kim Hee-jae chose the active-duty division X as the most memorable division. He went on to say that he “cried so much. I want to cheer them on” for the stage of his favorite division.

Kim Hee-jae said, “As someone who experienced the audition first, it was an honor to be able to directly watch the stages of the contestants who were challenging themselves to achieve their dreams. I sincerely support each and every contestant and hope that the ‘Mr. Trot 3’ stage will be the stage where your dreams come true,” he said, and made a surprise viewer ratings promise, saying, “If the viewer ratings go over 28%, I will show a duet stage with the contestants.”



● Lee Chan-won “There seems to be a tectonic shift in the trot world... I was surprised by the skills of the youth division”

Lee Chan-won, like Young Tak, chose the youth division as the most memorable division. Regarding this, Lee Chan-won said, “I was surprised by the skills of the youth division. I could see that the contestants had not only singing skills but also star quality. I think this division will lead the trot world in the future. I think there will be a tectonic shift in the trot world. A lot of fresh faces have appeared, so I think viewers can look forward to it as well,” he said, raising expectations.



● Jung Dong-won “Expected viewership ratings are 30%… I will certify that you watched the first episode”

Jung Dong-won said, “There were many contestants who were more talented than me among the contestants, and it was an honor to judge them, and it brought back memories of when I participated as a contestant in Season 1, so I was grateful for the opportunity to become a master.”The department that I remember the most is the university department. I thought it was amazing to see each person interpret and sing trot in their own style. I think there will be many people that viewers will remember for a long time. There are really many talented people in this ‘Mr. Trot 3’. He said, “I’m looking forward to seeing how great the show will be as we’ll be competing fiercely together on stage with our teammates starting from the next round.”

Jeong Dong-won mentioned an expected viewership rating of 30% and promised, “I’ll get the certification to watch the show live. I, Jeong Dong-won, guarantee its success.”

Hong Se-young, Donga.com reporter, projecthong@donga.com