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| ▲ This photo, provided by OBS, shows the late singer Hyun-mi. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Apr. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korean-based iconic singer Kim Myung Seon, who is better known by her stage name Hyun-mi or Hyun-mee, passed away on Tuesday morning at the age of 85.
The chairman of Hyun-mi's fan club, whose identity has been withheld, found the singer lying down at her home in Seoul at 9:37 a.m. and reported it to the police. The singer was immediately transported to a nearby hospital but was soon pronounced dead.
Hyun-mi was born in Pyongyang in North Korea in 1938 and lived in her hometown until the 1950 Korean War. By the time of the January 4 Retreat, she fled to her mother’s house in Gangdong, South Pyeongan Province. While departing, she had to leave her two younger brothers behind, whom she reunited with in Pyeongyang more than 60 years later.
The iconic singer, who was already fed up with the agony of departing, also participated in the production of virtual reality content for the hometown experience of separated families.
She, who made her debut as a singer in 1957 at the age of 20, kicked off her singing career on the stage of the 8th U.S. Army as many musicians did at the time. She initially took the stage as a sword dancer but then began singing by holding the microphone on behalf of another singer who missed her stage.
Hyun-mi then married the late composer Lee Bong-jo after dating for three years. She then plucked to stardom with her representative songs “Night Fog,” released in 1962, and she also teamed up with her husband to roll out a series of mega-hit tracks including “The Face I Want to See,” “Leave Without Words,” “Lover,” and “No Matter What, I Loved It.” She also served as one of the judges of Mnet’s representative audition reality show “Superstar K2” in 2011.
During her 50th debut anniversary press conference in 2007, the singer said, “I will sing until I lose all my teeth even in my 80s and 90s,” adding with a resolution, “I will retire when I can no longer make my voice. Even if that time comes, I believe it must be the time when I can leave without any regret or self-doubt.”
The police are planning to investigate the deceased’s chronic illness as well as the chairman of her fan club, who first reported her, and the bereaved family to determine the exact cause of the singer’s death. It is known that the funeral location has not yet been decided.
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Ha eun Lee)
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