Peppertones’ Lee Jang-won dropped by as the show’s first in-studio “ballad superfan” guest, instantly stealing the spotlight.
On the Jan. 6 episode of SBS’ “Mumu X Chacha: The Ballad of Us Radio,” the Top 12 contestants faced off in a ballad showdown fueled by viewers’ stories. After each stage, a “Top 100” listener panel ― nicknamed the Top Ears ― voted in real time, with a playful wager on the line: the losing team captain would treat the Top Ears to coffee.
The episode also featured celebrity call-ins cheering on the Top 12 and, in a highlight, an in-studio visit from top-tier ballad fan Lee Jang-won of Peppertones. He’d previously texted host Jun Hyun-moo to root for his KAIST junior, Lee Junseok, making his fandom crystal clear.
Lee showed up again to back his junior in person. “He got eliminated sooner than I expected. I honestly thought he’d take the whole thing,” Lee admitted, radiating senior-junior pride.
Host Jun Hyun-moo then brought up composer Jung Jae-hyung’s cheeky take that “Junseok sings better than Jang-won.”
Lee laughed it off. “Jae-hyung hyung is a little too honest,” he joked, before adding, “But he’s a maestro. He’s right,” winning points for humility.
Lee also shared that his wife, singer Bae Da-hae, fell for Junseok’s tone. “She heard him and just melted. She was like, ‘KAIST kids sound like that?’” he quipped.
Lee Junseok isn’t just a fellow KAIST alum ― he and Lee Jang-won hail from the same college music club, though they’re 25 years apart. The two teamed up for an impromptu duet of the club’s theme song, which Lee Jang-won composed back in his school days, drawing cheers in the studio.
They then launched into Toy’s “Good Person,” a soaring duet that charmed the Top Ears and viewers alike.
When the votes were in, Team Chacha claimed the win, sweeping the round. True to his word, Jun Hyun-moo kept the coffee promise for the Top Ears.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Hyo-jung)