The Real Reason Ulala Session's Exit From MBC's Competition Show Hit So Hard

When Ulala Session stepped onto the stage of MBC's 1deungdeul on April 5, 2026, and launched into the buoyant rhythms of "Love Twist," the studio erupted. The performance was exactly what fans had come to expect from this beloved group — joyful, unrestrained, and full of the kind of warmth that only comes from performers who have been through something real together. But when the votes were tallied, the numbers told a different story. Ulala Session, the iconic Superstar K3 champions, were eliminated from the competition.

For anyone who has followed the group since their breakout in 2011, the exit carried a weight that transcended a simple reality TV elimination. The reason their departure hit so hard is inseparable from the most extraordinary chapter in K-pop audition history — a story of survival, loss, and the enduring power of music.

A Victory Won Against Every Odd

When Ulala Session first appeared on the third season of Mnet's Superstar K in 2011, they immediately stood apart. While other competitors showcased polished vocals and practiced choreography, this four-member group brought something far more raw: their leader, Im Yoon-taek, was quietly fighting stage 4 stomach cancer throughout the entire competition. He said nothing publicly during the broadcasts. The group performed week after week, pouring everything into each stage, and the nation watched.

By the time Im Yoon-taek lifted the Superstar K3 trophy, South Korea had not merely found its next singing sensation — it had witnessed an act of collective human will. The win resonated not just as a musical triumph but as a statement about perseverance. Their victory performance of "Killing Me Softly," originally by Roberta Flack, became intertwined with their identity: artists who chose beauty and grace even in the face of the unthinkable.

Im Yoon-taek passed away on February 11, 2013, surrounded by his family and fellow group members. He was 36 years old. The remaining members — Kwon Do-woon, Kim Sang-woo, and Oh Se-jung — chose to continue as Ulala Session, carrying forward his spirit in every performance. His legacy became the group's compass, and fans who had watched his journey remained fiercely devoted to the three who stayed.

Returning to the Arena: Why '1deungdeul' Mattered

MBC's 1deungdeul — translated as "The Champions" or "The Winners" — is not a typical music competition. The show's premise centers on a pointed question: among all the winners produced by South Korea's long history of televised singing competitions, who is truly the best? The lineup brought together a remarkable collection of past champions — Superstar K2 winner Huh Gak, ballad show winner Lee Ye-ji, folk vocalist and Naeil-eun Gungmin Gasu champion Park Chang-geun, and others — to compete once again for supremacy.

For Ulala Session, joining this cast meant more than a career opportunity. It meant representing Im Yoon-taek's legacy on a national platform. Every stage they performed was not just for their current standing in the competition — it was a tribute, a continuation, a proof that the flame had not gone out.

The April 5 broadcast brought the first wave of eliminations to the show, and the atmosphere was charged from the opening moments. The voting system, driven by audience preference, had already delivered surprising results in earlier episodes. A prior matchup between Huh Gak and Ulala Session — billed as a "family feud" since both emerged from the Superstar K franchise — had given Huh Gak the win, foreshadowing the difficult road ahead for the group.

The Performance That Defined Their Exit

For their April 5 stage, Ulala Session chose "Love Twist," a beloved classic Korean pop song that trades on nostalgia, joyful movement, and communal energy. It was a curious choice for what would turn out to be a farewell performance — not the gut-wrenching ballad that might seem fitting for a dramatic exit, but something playful and celebratory. In retrospect, it may have been the most Ulala Session decision they could have made.

The performance was broadcast on MBC Entertainment's official YouTube channel, where viewer reactions ranged from pure delight to quiet heartbreak. Fans noted that even as they danced and smiled through the upbeat number, something behind the performance felt like a goodbye said with a grin — the kind of exit that refuses to be defined by sadness. The group had always carried joy as a form of resistance, and "Love Twist" was very much in that tradition.

When the votes came in, Ulala Session and fellow contestant Baek Cheong-gang were announced as the episode's eliminated contestants. The results reflected the brutal arithmetic of audience voting in a competition this stacked. Huh Gak placed second with 253 votes, Kim Gi-tae third with 237 votes, and the drama of survival played out across every position. In a field of ten exceptional performers, the margin for staying is razor thin. Ulala Session had given everything they had. The numbers simply did not fall in their favor.

What Their Journey on '1deungdeul' Meant

The outpouring of fan reaction following the April 5 broadcast offered a window into how deeply the group's story continues to resonate. Viewers who had watched Superstar K3 live in 2011, younger fans who only knew Im Yoon-taek's story through clips and tributes, and longtime supporters who had followed the group for fifteen years all converged on the same sentiment: this was not a defeat. This was a reminder.

February 11, 2026, had marked the 13th anniversary of Im Yoon-taek's passing. Just weeks later, the remaining members of Ulala Session appeared on a prime-time national broadcast, performed with full commitment, and represented everything he had stood for. In the context of that timeline, their participation in 1deungdeul was itself the victory — the elimination could not undo what the journey had already accomplished.

The group had also used their time on the show to reintroduce themselves to viewers who may have followed their story years ago but lost track of their more recent output. Their performances throughout the season demonstrated the same tonal warmth and vocal interplay that had defined their Superstar K3 run, now sharpened by the confidence of artists who have lived with their craft for over a decade.

For fans of Korean music competition history, and for anyone who remembers exactly where they were when Ulala Session lifted that trophy in 2011, the April 5 exit was not the end of anything. It was, in the truest sense, another chapter in a story that has always been about something far more than winning.