PD Shin Young-kwang of ‘Hidden Singer 8’ has revealed the secret story behind casting comedian Moon Se-yoon as a mimic.
On the 19th, PD Shin Young-kwang met with Xports News at the JoongAng Ilbo Building in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, to discuss the behind-the-scenes details of casting the show’s participants.
‘Hidden Singer’ has returned for its eighth season after a four-year hiatus. Starting with the legendary Sim Soo-bong, ‘Hidden Singer 8’ continues to deliver fun and emotion with artists like Younha, Kim Jang-hoon, Davichi’s Lee Hae-ri, Kim Hyun-jung, 10cm’s Kwon Jung-yeol, and Ha Hyun-woo.
As the season nears its end, PD Shin Young-kwang shared, “After returning from my honeymoon last year, the company told me to prepare for ‘Hidden Singer 8,’ so I started casting around July or August.” He added, “The cold season passed in the blink of an eye, and it’s hot again. I thought time would move slowly, but it went by so fast.”
This season has brought new excitement in every episode. From the shocking moment Kim Hyun-jung was a candidate for elimination in the first round, to the first-ever first-round re-listen during Younha’s episode, and the bold introduction of a fifth round in Kim Jang-hoon’s episode where the original singer and mimic faced off 1:1. The show is adding fresh fun through various twists while maintaining the essence of the format.
In particular, the episode aired on the 18th featuring the late Turtleman of Turtles drew an explosive response and featured an incredible level of difficulty. To honor Turtleman’s strict rule of never lip-syncing during Turtles’ activities, the episode used a live audio extraction method.
The biggest plot twist was the appearance of Moon Se-yoon, who joined not as a panelist but as a mimic. Moon Se-yoon made it to the fourth round with an amazing level of synchronization and mimicry skills, but unfortunately was eliminated after receiving 19 votes.
When asked about the most intense reaction on set, PD Shin pointed to the moment Moon Se-yoon appeared on the hidden stage. He recalled, “The reaction was so strong that the studio was literally shaking,” noting that he had never experienced this level of energy while producing ‘Hidden Singer 8’.
He further explained the atmosphere, saying, “Previously, people were surprised when the original singer was eliminated or an unexpected person appeared, but when Moon Se-yoon appeared as the final number, the entire studio was thumping and vibrating.”
The casting process for Moon Se-yoon was also revealed. PD Shin first connected with Moon Se-yoon when he cast him as a fixed panelist for ‘Hidden Singer 6’.
“When we decided to do the Turtleman episode, I felt it would only be complete if Moon Se-yoon was in it. I called him personally, but he received the call during a filming day for ‘2 Days & 1 Night’. Since he wanted to be fair to other participants, he didn’t agree immediately. He told me he would want to appear if the production team gave him the OK after an audition,” PD Shin shared. “Because he had been a fixed panelist, he knew exactly which mimics appeared and how hard they practiced, so he felt a lot of pressure.”
Despite this, Moon Se-yoon’s decision to appear in the Turtleman episode happened at a fateful moment. On the 7th, Moon Se-yoon remade Turtles’ hit song “Airplane” with Hanhae and Chuu. The broadcast aired about two weeks after the song’s release, making it even more special.
PD Shin said, “I got goosebumps when I heard he was releasing a remake of ‘Airplane’. The timing was just incredible.” He praised Moon Se-yoon’s efforts, adding, “His synchronization was very similar during the audition, and he danced well. After that, he cleared his schedule and kept coming in to practice.”
He described the Turtleman episode as “an episode created by the viewers” and “an episode created by heaven.”
Explaining why, he said, “Usually, the production team searches for mimics and holds auditions. However, for the Turtleman episode, almost 100% of the participants were voluntary applicants.” He expressed surprise, adding, “Usually, voluntary applicants have low synchronization with the original singer, but in the Turtleman episode, every single participant except Moon Se-yoon was a volunteer, yet their voices were incredibly similar.”
He concluded, “There have been constant requests from viewers to do a Turtleman episode throughout the history of ‘Hidden Singer’. Since all these situations aligned perfectly, it felt like fate.”
