[E-Daily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] “Events? Dongtan is a given. I’ll go to Haenam, and I’ll have to visit the islands, too.”
As Park Se-mi, who has gained immense popularity as the “Dongtan Seo-jun Mom” character, spoke with a smile, Kim So-yu immediately chimed in, “We’ll rush anywhere as long as you call us.” For Park Se-mi, “Dongtan” is a word that symbolizes her very identity. However, the stage the two are building isn’t limited to Dongtan. Their goal is to travel anywhere in the country where there’s an audience to perform. Rather than relying on the buzz generated by the collaboration between a comedian and a trot singer, their clear objective is to become “true ‘comedy-singers’” (comedians + singers) recognized for their singing and stage presence.

◇A Connection Forged on TV, Continuing as a Duet
Park Se-mi and Kim So-yu will release their duet song “What Can’t I Do?” today (the 6th) at 6 p.m. This cheerful “Semi-Trot” track playfully expresses the sentiment that one can do anything for a loved one. It was written and composed by hitmaker Koo Hee-sang, who has created songs such as Young Tak’s “Why Are You There?”, Kim Yong-bin’s “Silver Spoon,” and Park Gun’s “I Hit the Jackpot.”
Their relationship began with a casual remark from those around them that they “looked alike.” After first meeting on MBN’s “Korea-Japan Top Ten Show,” they got to know each other better while working together again on KBS1’s “Morning Plaza,” and their connection naturally continued even after the show ended. As they spent more time together—eating meals, sharing drinks, and exchanging stories—their simple on-air connection gradually evolved into a friendship centered around music.
Park Se-mi said, “I had so much fun working on ‘Korea-Japan Top Ten Show.’ Since we had such great chemistry on ‘Morning Plaza’ as well, I became even more curious about who Soyou was,” adding, “We grew close over meals and drinks, and around last winter, a casual remark I made—‘Why don’t we try releasing a song together?’—turned into a real project.” She continued, “We brainstormed a lot of ideas on our own, but in the end, the experts really helped us find the right direction,” and reflected, “After several months of meetings, the current song ‘What Can’t We Do?’ was completed.”

For Kim So-yu, who has primarily focused on traditional trot, this project was also a new challenge. At first, she was worried, wondering, “Can I really do this?” but the fact that she was partnering with Park Se-mi fueled her anticipation more than her hesitation.
Kim So-yu said, “She has a lot of broadcasting experience and the ability to lead people. If I had been on my own, I wouldn’t have been able to make the decision easily, but I came to believe that working with her would create great synergy.” She added, “Although it was a genre I was trying for the first time, I gradually gained confidence as we practiced, and I’m satisfied with the result.”
During the actual production process, the two worked together even better than expected. Park Se-mi’s drive—putting ideas into action as soon as they came to mind—and Kim So-yu’s diligence—quietly keeping pace to ensure high quality—naturally complemented each other.
Park Se-mi said, “I’m naturally the type to push things forward quickly, so sometimes the people around me can’t keep up.” She continued, “But whenever I said, ‘Let’s try it this way,’ Soyou always trusted me and joined in. Whenever I explained the direction I wanted to go, she worked hard to make it happen. That’s why I’m even more grateful and felt so supported.”
Kim So-yu also laughed, saying, “My senior is the kind of person who takes immediate action whenever she asks, ‘Want to give this a try?’” She continued, “I’m not the type to give up easily either, but watching her made me work even harder to keep up. It even made me think, ‘I really wish I had a senior like her.’”

◇“We Want to Be Role Models for Others”… The Challenge to Become True ‘Comedian-Singers’
The two had no intention of treating this project as a one-off event. Instead, they made no secret of their desire to be remembered as a new duo recognized for their stage presence and vocal talent—transcending the existing stereotype of “comedians who also sing.”
Park Se-mi said, “We want to redefine the term ‘comedy singer.’ We don’t want to be just comedians who sing; we want to be recognized as real singers.” She added, “We did think of duos like our seniors in Wink, but we didn’t intentionally create that concept. “Rather than imitating anyone, I hope the name ‘Park Se-mi and Kim So-yu’ itself becomes a brand,” she said. She continued, “I hope that in the future, people will look at us and think, ‘Maybe we should give it a try too,’” adding, “Our goal is to become a group that serves as a role model for others.”
Kim So-yu also said, “I didn’t think we had to stick to just one genre just because we’re traditional trot singers,” adding, “It’s really cool how senior artist Kim Yeon-ja collaborates with various junior artists and across different genres without losing sight of the essence of trot. We want to set that kind of precedent as well.”

The two had rather modest expectations for success. Rather than chart rankings, they dreamed of moments when people naturally encountered their songs in everyday life—and, above all, of performing on stage where they could connect directly with the audience for as long as possible.
Park Se-mi said, “It would feel really great to be walking down the street and hear our song playing in a café, nail salon, or skin care salon,” adding, “Even if it’s just that, I think we’d be able to feel that many people love us.” Kim So-yu also said, “I’d be truly grateful if our music video views just surpassed 500,000,” adding, “If we can really feel that so many people love us, I think we’ll have the strength to keep going.”
Ultimately, the stage the two dreamed of was the entire country. Neither the size of the venue nor the region mattered. Going wherever there was an audience to share laughter and songs—that was the image of a “singer” they envisioned.
“Ultimately, singers are happiest when they meet many people in person and sing for them. Our goal is to travel all over the country and become a group that is loved for a long time.” (Kim So-yu)
“Starting in Dongtan, we want to go to Haenam and travel across all eight provinces of the country to sing. Islands are fine—anywhere is fine. As long as you invite us, we’ll rush right over.” (Park Se-mi)