Moon Geun-young Tears Up Over a Young Contestant on Our Ballad 2

Actor Moon Geun-young broke down in tears while watching a young contestant perform during filming of Our Ballad 2, the upcoming SBS ballad audition program. The moment, captured in the show's second teaser, fits a pattern familiar to the genre: it is the judge's reaction, not the song itself, that carries the preview.

In the clip, Moon reflected on the experience with evident distress. "Why does this young child already know such deep loneliness? Why are they going through this?" she said, before adding that she simply wanted to wrap the contestant in a hug. It was a notably unguarded moment for an actor who has spent most of her career on the dramatic side of the camera rather than in a judging seat.

Earlier in the teaser, Moon offered a blunter take on a different performance: "It went sideways from the very first note." Asked which of her fellow judges, Jung Seung-hwan or Roy Kim, she preferred musically, she deflected with a wink at Jung: "Roy, cover your ears."

The panel

Roy Kim, who won Superstar K in 2012, brought a sharper edge to his feedback. He advised one contestant to hold back on full-throttle deliveries, warning that leading with only tonal quality would make for a difficult road ahead. He also walked directly onto the stage to adjust a contestant's out-of-tune guitar himself, a small gesture that said more about his investment in the process than any verbal note could.

Joo Woojae rounds out the panel, making his first appearance on any audition program. Known publicly for a highly analytical, unsentimental personality, he was nonetheless spotted with reddened eyes during one performance, rising to applaud the contestant standing.

What to expect

Our Ballad 2 is framed around finding raw ballad talent, with the format positioning its judges as the primary lens through which viewers experience the contestants. The show's first season established a modest but loyal audience for that approach, and the teaser suggests the second run is leaning into the emotional contrast between judges' public personas and what they actually feel in the room.

The premiere is set for October 5 at 10 p.m. on SBS.