As the winter chill lingered on February 12, 2026, the excitement inside South Korea’s living rooms was anything but cold. The ninth episode of TV CHOSUN’s wildly popular singing competition, Miss Trot 4, aired that evening, unveiling both the much-anticipated 6th week public voting results and the start of the show’s fourth preliminary round—a legendary mission that has fans and participants alike on the edge of their seats.
The air was thick with anticipation as the producers of Miss Trot 4 revealed the latest rankings from the national support vote, which had been open from February 5 until the morning of February 12. For the first time since the season began, Hong Seong-yoon clinched the top spot. According to eToday, this marked a significant shift in the competition’s dynamics, as Lee So-na surged from fourth to second place, while Gil Ryeo-won, who had long dominated the leaderboard, slipped to third. Yoon Yoon-seo and Yoon Tae-hwa rounded out the top five, landing in fourth and fifth places respectively. The voting, facilitated through Naver, allowed viewers to cast their support for up to five contestants per day, ensuring a broad base of fan engagement.
But the pulse of the show wasn’t just in the numbers. The episode also marked the start of the 4th preliminary round, known as the "Legendary Mission." As reported by TopStarNews, sixteen contestants had made it through the previous round and were now vying for a coveted spot in the semifinals. The stakes couldn’t have been higher: each singer would compete by performing only songs from legendary artists, with victory determined by a binary vote from the show’s masters, a national representative panel, and even the legends themselves.
The format for the evening was a one-song showdown, with pairs of contestants sharing the stage to deliver their own interpretations of classic hits. The matchups, teased in a preview released before the broadcast, included Hong Seong-yoon versus Kim San-ha, Kim Hye-jin against Gil Ryeo-won, Lee El-ya facing Yeom Yu-ri, and the much-anticipated duel between Yoon Tae-hwa and Yu-mi. The legendary singers lending their names and songs to the mission—Kim Soo-hee, Choi Jin-hee, Kim Yeon-ja, and Kim Yong-im—added a further layer of gravitas to the proceedings.
All eyes were on the showdown between 18-year veteran trot singer Yoon Tae-hwa and 25-year ballad singer Yu-mi. As the two seasoned performers took the stage, the weight of their combined 43 years in the music industry was palpable. Yoon Tae-hwa’s voice carried both resolve and humility as she addressed the audience: "I have walked the trot path for 18 years. I don’t want to think of those years as wasted, and I have no intention of stopping here. I want to show the stage of my trot life here and now." Her words, as reported by Sports List, resonated with viewers who have followed her journey through the competition.
Yu-mi, for her part, was equally determined. "I am still thirsty for the stage. I can’t step back like this. Since elementary school, I have grown up listening to the songs of legends. Today, I will prove that time," she declared, setting the stage for a performance that would be as much about personal history as vocal prowess.
The two veterans selected Choi Jin-hee’s beloved classic, "Love Maze" (Sarang-ui Miro), for their duel. The performance that followed was a masterclass in harmony and emotional delivery, with both artists weaving their voices together to create a moment that, as Sports List described, was nothing short of beautiful.
Meanwhile, the broader competition was heating up. The sixteen contestants who had advanced to the 4th preliminary round included not only the likes of Hong Seong-yoon, Gil Ryeo-won, and Lee So-na, but also Kim Hye-jin, Yoon Yoon-seo, Jeok-woo, Chae-yoon, Jeong Hye-rin, Heo Chan-mi, Kim San-ha, Yeom Yu-ri, Jang Hye-ri, Kim Da-na, Yu-mi, and Lee El-ya. Those who didn’t make the cut—Kim Yu-ri, Bae Seo-yeon, Won Ha-yeon, Yu Su-bi, Kang Bo-gyeong, Lee Se-young, Shin Hyun-ji, Wan Yi-hwa, and Lee Ji-na—were eliminated in the previous round, a reminder of the fierce competition that defines Miss Trot 4.
The legendary mission was more than just a test of vocal ability; it was a celebration of the genre’s history. Contestants were tasked with interpreting songs from some of trot’s most iconic figures, with the likes of Kim Soo-hee, Choi Jin-hee, Kim Yeon-ja, and Kim Yong-im not only providing the repertoire but also participating in the voting. This format, as TopStarNews noted, ensured that every performance was judged by those who had helped shape the very tradition the contestants aspired to join.
Adding to the drama, the voting for this round was a strict either-or: the masters and national representatives could vote for only one singer in each pairing. It was a format designed to create suspense and, perhaps, heartbreak—after all, only ten of the sixteen would advance to the semifinals.
For fans eager to support their favorites, the public voting remained open and accessible. By searching "미스트롯4 투표하기" (Miss Trot 4 Voting) online, viewers could participate in the democratic spirit that has come to define the show. Voting was limited to one session per day, with each fan able to choose up to five contestants, a system that both encouraged daily engagement and kept the leaderboard in constant flux.
As the episode drew to a close, the sense of community and anticipation was palpable. Miss Trot 4 continues to air every Thursday at 10 PM, with episodes available not only on TV CHOSUN but also via OTT platforms such as Wavve, TVING, Chijijik, and Netflix, making it easier than ever for fans to follow every twist and turn of the competition.
With the semifinals looming and the competition intensifying, the journey of these singers is far from over. Each performance, vote, and elimination brings them one step closer to the coveted title—and for viewers, the promise of more unforgettable moments on the Miss Trot 4 stage.