KBS voice actor Choi Woo-sung wins Grand Prize at 2026 Daegu National Song Festival

KBS voice actor takes the top prize

Choi Woo-sung (31), a KBS voice actor, won the Grand Prize at the 2026 Daegu National Song Festival on September 19. He performed soprano Cho Soo-mi's Na Gageodeun ("When I Go") and took home 15 million won.

"I take this as a gift to work harder on music, and I will do my best to live each day," Choi said in his acceptance speech.

The Gold Prize went to participant #7 Kim Gwang-jun (30), who performed Maya's Nareul Ochida ("Cry Out for Me"). Participant #3 Jang Eun-seo (24) took Silver after performing Ali's Pung Pung. Gold came with 5 million won. Silver, 3 million won. All 12 finalists received 700,000 won each.

889 teams, one outdoor stage

The festival is in its 5th edition, co-hosted by Maeil Shinmun and Daegu City. This year, 889 teams totaling 981 participants applied nationwide. Twelve advanced through preliminaries to the finals at Daegu Kolon Outdoor Music Hall, which started at 6:30 PM. Police estimated around 20,000 people attended.

Guest performers Park Gu-yun, Ssia, and Jang Min-ho also performed during the evening.

Participant #10 Jang Hye-jin (11) was the youngest competitor. She performed Kim Yong-in's Cheonnyeonhak ("Thousand Year Crane") and told the crowd she got hooked on trot after winning a regional festival on a whim. "I fell deeply in love with the charm of trot. My dream is to become a trot singer."

Daegu Mayor Choo Kyung-ho presented the Grand Prize. "Today's song festival is not only a competition venue but also a festival for all of us," he said, adding a Chuseok well-wish as the holiday approached.