Frenzied fans of ‘Emperor of Trot’ Na Hoon-a crash KBS website

K-pop fans from all over the world fawning over young K-pop idols is one thing. Fans flocking to online registration for a chance to see a 73-year-old trot singer’s concert is another.

Upon the announcement of “Emperor of Trot” Na Hoon-a’s first online-streamed concert, fans around the globe filled out application forms explaining why they had to be chosen as part of the audience for the special show.

Local broadcaster KBS 2TV’s “2020 Chuseok Grand Plan Republic of Korea Again Na Hoon-a” will feature the singer in his first TV appearance in 14 years this Chuseok on Oct. 1. The last time he appeared on TV was on MBC’s “Na Hoon-a Special” in 2006.

“Na Hoon-a planned this concert out of desperation as he felt, ‘I can’t be just staying still, I need to do something,’ when he saw everyone go through difficult and exhausting times due to COVID-19,” said representative of Na Hoon-a.

The lucky 1,000 fans who fill out applications Sept. 1 - Sept 10. on the KBS website will have a chance to see the live concert live on Sept. 23. The application is not first come, first served.

Korean immigrants and international fans from countries such as the US, Australia, France and Indonesia have been flooding the KBS website with applications, with the heavy traffic temporarily shutting it down.

With over 3,000 songs released since his debut in 1966, Na was the BTS of the 1970s, thanks to his unique voice and vocal techniques along with his forever rival, singer Nam Jin. Although Na has been loved by fans throughout his career, he has seldom appeared on TV, focusing instead on live concerts.

Na’s concerts sell-out quickly, rivalling those of top K-pop idols, with many people purchasing tickets for their elderly parents.

By Lim Jang-won (ljw@heraldcorp.com)