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| ▲ K-pop singer Yim Jae-beum attends the media conference for his 40th anniversary national concert tour held in Seoul on Sept. 17, 2026. (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Yonhap) -- K-pop singer Yim Jae-beum, 62, has announced his retirement from the music industry.
According to his agency, Blue Seed Entertainment, on Sunday, Yim, who is currently holding his nationwide 40th anniversary tour concert, “I Am Yim Jae-beum,” has expressed his intention to step away from the stage after the tour concludes.
Yim appeared on JTBC’s “Newsroom” earlier in the day, saying, “I’ve spent a long time thinking deeply about this, and I’ve decided to leave the stage after this 40th anniversary performance.”
Explaining his decision, he said, “It’s something I’ve been considering over for a long time. I thought it would be my duty to fans to step down while I can still give everything and sing on stage. As the saying goes, you should leave while people are applauding, and I felt now was the best time to put down the microphone.”
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| ▲ K-pop singer Yim Jae-beum attends the media conference for his 40th anniversary national concert tour held in Seoul on Sept. 17, 2026. (Yonhap) |
Yim debuted in 1986 as a member of rock band Sinawe with its first album and went on to release numerous hit songs with his gritty voice, including “For You,” “Emergency,” “Confession,” and “A Deeper Scar Than Love.”
“An overwhelming number of emotions are passing through me, and it feels as though 40 years have gone by in an instant,” he said, adding, “I worry that fans may be too shocked by the news. Even after I leave, I hope you will continue to support all musicians.”
He continued, “Even if I leave after the 40th anniversary concert, I will continue breathing in the same world as you,” urging fans not to feel too upset or disappointed. “As there is coming, there is also going. Please stay with me and support me until the end of this tour.”
Yim began his nationwide tour in Daegu on Nov. 29 last year and has since performed in Incheon, Busan and other cities. His Seoul concerts are scheduled for Jan. 17-18, 2026, at KSPO Dome in Olympic Park.
Asked which song he would like to sing as his final encore, Yim chose “Greeting,” released in September last year, saying, “It was a song for my fans, and as I leave, I hope the audience will sing it for me.”
He also said, “I want to be remembered as someone who sang well in Korea’s music industry,” adding that he hopes people will remember him as “a singer who was good at singing.”
In a separate written statement, Yim said, “I agonized over this for a long time, looking back countless times and fighting with myself repeatedly,” adding, “I believe walking out on my own at the best moment, amid the most beautiful days, is the last form of pride and gratitude left to me.”
Regarding the remaining anniversary performances, he said, “I will give you everything I have, all the strength and heart I have left,” adding that he hopes to complete the journey “quietly but sincerely, in my own way, until the very end.”
Yim is currently serving as a judge on JTBC’s music competition program “Sing Again 4” and previously announced plans to release his eighth full-length album after unveiling the new song “Greeting” last September.
At a press conference marking the song’s release, he said, “Even if others say it’s fine, I always have lingering regrets after recording,” adding, “I spend more time looking back, wondering if the breathing was right or if the lyrics were conveyed properly. I don’t know if I’ll be able to go on to a 50th or 60th anniversary.”
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