Entertainment SBS Culture & Life · 4h ago

Moon Geun-young, Joo Woo-jae, and Roy Kim Join 'Our Ballad Season 2' as Mainstream Taste Judges

Key Points

Moon Geun-young, Joo Woo-jae, and Roy Kim were introduced as new representative judges on SBS's variety program 'Our Ballad Season 2.'
The trio represents the public 'Top 100 Ear' panel, reflecting mainstream listener tastes across acting, variety entertainment, and the vocal ballad scene.
In Korean music variety shows, 'Top 100 Ear' denotes listeners whose musical intuition closely mirrors the general public's favorite chart hits.

Summary Beloved South Korean actress Moon Geun-young, media personality Joo Woo-jae, and singer-songwriter Roy Kim have officially joined SBS’s music variety program 'Our Ballad Season 2' as representative judges of the "Top 100 Ear" panel. In Korean pop culture, the slang term "Top 100 Ear" (Top-baek-gwi) refers to a listener whose musical taste perfectly aligns with the mainstream public, instinctively knowing what kinds of tracks will dominate streaming charts like the Melon Top 100. Rather than technical critics evaluating complex theory, panels composed of "Top 100 Ears" judge songs based on emotional resonance and mass commercial appeal—an essential metric in Korea's ballad landscape. During the broadcast, Moon Geun-young, famously known as the nation's iconic star across numerous classic Korean dramas and films, expressed genuine excitement about joining the panel, enthusiastically sharing that becoming an official "Top 100 Ear" was something she had always dreamed of doing. Joining her on the panel was model-turned-entertainer Joo Woo-jae, renowned in Korean entertainment for his hyper-logical, candid "T" (Thinking) personality from MBTI tropes. He surprised the cast by revealing his deep musical credentials, humorously recounting how peers once nicknamed him the "Im Jin-mo of the modeling world"—referencing one of South Korea's most famous music critics. He noted that he has immersed himself in Korean popular music since childhood and even hosted his own internet radio show in his twenties. Completing the trio, acclaimed balladeer Roy Kim entered the set to curious anticipation. Known as a perennial powerhouse on real-time streaming charts even amidst heavy competition from K-pop idol releases and trot smashes, his role bridges the gap between mainstream chart authority and vocal artistry. Together, the diverse lineup brings a mix of public sentiment, analytical wit, and seasoned musicianship to the second season of SBS's popular ballad showcase.