MBN ‘Unforgettable Duet’

Oh Jung-tae and his 85-year-old father with dementia delivered a moving miracle of a stage that made them seem to regain their youth.

On the 6th episode of MBN’s ‘Unforgettable Duet’, which aired on the 10th (Wed), comedian Oh Jung-tae and his 85-year-old father Oh Tae-woong appeared, and Kim Tae-woo, the main vocalist of the group god and a leading vocalist in South Korea, joined as the Memory Singer to accompany the two on their journey through memories.

Oh Jung-tae revealed that his father was diagnosed with dementia last year. He kept asking questions to cling to his father’s memories, but his father wandered within jumbled recollections, evoking sorrow. However, when his son asked, “What was the best memory for you?”, the father replied, “Meeting you was the best,” delivering a powerful, heartfelt moment.

Then, guided by Kim Tae-woo, the two boarded the Memory Bus and faced photos and mementos from the father’s life. In front of a photo of a muscular man, the father said, “When I was at Hanil Theater, I entered a physique contest,” recalling his youth vividly and astonishing everyone. He also looked at his wedding photo and, seeing his wife, said, “My bride Kim Bok-deok,” recalling her name. In his youth, the father always watched over the mother as she worked part-time at the theater box office. The mother said, “Back then my husband protected me, but now I must protect him,” revealing deep affection for her husband. The father also immediately recognized his youngest son, Oh Jung-tae, in an old family photo and greeted him with delight. Remembering the soybean paste stew his father used to make, Oh Jung-tae shared warm childhood memories that moved everyone.

As songs of the father’s life, Oh Seung-geun’s ‘What's Wrong With My Age’, Seol Woon-do’s ‘Sister’, and Cho Kyung-soo’s ’Happiness Is’ were prepared. The father remembered the melodies but could not recall most of the lyrics, adding to the sadness.

MBN ‘Unforgettable Duet’

Ahead of the Memory Stage, OH MY GIRL’s Hyojung said, “I am curious what a father-and-son duet will be like,” expressing anticipation for ‘Unforgettable Duet’’s first father-son stage, and Son Tae-jin said, “Tears for a father seem a bit different from those for a mother,” conveying a heavy heart.

Before the duet stage, the father said, “Jung-tae will be beside me, so I am not worried,” expressing his trust in his son Oh Jung-tae. He then turned to the audience and, in halting words, repeatedly boasted, “My son, comedian Oh Jung-tae,” bringing tears to the eyes of those watching.

As the intro to the father’s life song ‘What's Wrong With My Age’ played, the father, remarkably, seemed to regain his vigor as if back in his youth. He not only sang the lyrics and pitch accurately but even added interjections, and the sight of the father and son keeping time with their whole bodies drew applause and cheers from the cast. The father’s excitement spread across the studio, and the mother watched the stage with the brightest smile, clapping vigorously. Oh Jung-tae, seemingly still caught in the afterglow of sharing a miraculous moment with his father, grew teary-eyed. He said, “As memories fade, I want to keep filling him with new ones,” leaving a calm yet stirring remark.

Memory Singer Kim Tae-woo was reminded of his own father while watching their stage. He began, “As soon as the recording ends, I should call and ask him to sing together.” He continued, “I want to sing a song that will be a comfort and a memory for you two,” then belted out the song ‘Father’, delivering deep resonance.

MC Jang Yoon-jeong concluded warmly, “A father is a hero to his son. Even as time passes, that fact does not change. Today was a time to recall that hero.” Episode 6 of ‘Unforgettable Duet’ unfolded like a touching drama, portraying the emotional distance between a father losing his memory and a realistic father-son relationship, and the bridge of the heart finally built through music. Capturing miraculous moments in which family members, even amid fading memories, connect with one another through shared recollections, it delivered warm emotion to viewers.

Right after the broadcast, on social networking services, reactions followed such as, “Oh Jung-tae is truly a devoted son for living with his father after the dementia diagnosis. Moving,” “He reminds me of my dad. I should call him,” “The father-and-son song is lovely and delightful,” and “A father’s heart may be blunt, but it overflows with love. Now I completely relate.”

Meanwhile, ‘Unforgettable Duet’ airs every Wednesday at 10:20 p.m. on MBN.