Singer Go (late) Myung Gook-hwan marks the 2nd anniversary of his death.
Myung Gook-hwan passed away on Aug. 19, 2023, at the age of 96.
The news of his passing was belatedly reported on Sept. 2, 2023, about two weeks after his death. As a result, condolences poured in following the late announcement of his passing.
Myung Gook-hwan spent his final days alone. Therefore, the Korea Singers Association organized the funeral. The belated announcement of his passing and the fact that he had no remaining connections added to the sorrow.
The deceased entered an operatic troupe after the liberation from Japanese colonial rule and debuted in 1956 through 'Don't Cry, White Horse.' He was loved for hit songs such as 'Wandering Poet Kim Sat-gat' and 'Arizona Cowboy.'
In particular, Myung Gook-hwan gained national love as a singer who expressed the pain of displaced people in the 1950s. His songs provided great comfort to the public, who had to adapt to life in foreign lands during the Korean War and industrialization period.
With this support, he received the Contribution Award on Singer's Day in 2005. Additionally, in 2014, he was awarded the Cultural Medal of Korea's Popular Culture and Arts Prize.
However, popularity and fame could not protect his health. He spent his later years struggling with Parkinson's disease, compounded by financial difficulties. Myung Gook-hwan, who appeared in the MBN program 'Exclusive World' broadcast in December 2022, shared his situation of living in a 230,000 won monthly rent apartment, evoking further sympathy.
[Photo] Provided by the Korea Singers Association, sourced from MBN.
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