Korean Orphan Becomes YouTube Singing Sensation
By wchung | 25 Apr, 2025

Pulling Tears: An orphan has reduced millions around the world to tears with his baritone voice.

A young man who grew up alone on Korea’s streets has grabbed the hearts and ears of the whole world after reducing Korea’s Got Talent judges to tears with his rendition of “Nella Fantasia”.

A month before Choi Sung-bong is set to compete in the final against nine others, CNN has called him “the next global talent show sensation” after Scottish instant celebrity Susan Boyle. The network showed scenes from a viral video of weeping judges and audience members as Choi sings “Nella Fantasia.”

Over 10 million have watched the clip on YouTube.

“Honestly, I’m scared of this attention that I never experienced before,” Choi told the Chosun Ilbo.

Choi was three when he was left at an orphanage in the central Korean city of Daejeon. At the age of five he fled the orphanage to escape beatings. He survived by selling gum and energy drinks on the streets and nightclubs and studied in a community night school. He was inspired to start singing after hearing performers in some of the night clubs in which he worked.

The juxtaposition of that bleak life and his startlingly rich and poised tenor voice brings to tears nearly all who watch the video of his KGT performance. Yet when asked about the comparisons with U.K. reality show sensation Susan Boyle, he said, “I know my singing is not that good. But I will try until I’m remembered as a good singer.”

Choi says the musician he most admires is blind tenor Andrea Bocelli.

Choi will face nine other Korea’s Got Talent finalists on Aug. 20.