Singer the late Yu Jae-ha and the late Kim Hyun-sik have been gone from our midst for 38 years and 35 years respectively. In the cool autumn breeze, their music still flows vividly in people's hearts.
Today (the 1st) is the anniversary of both musicians' deaths. The two who died on the same day are remembered as "eternal stars of Korean popular music" who are loved beyond their era. Fans every year around this time listen to their songs and express their longing.
On Nov. 1, 1987, Yu Jae-ha ended his short life at 25 in an unexpected traffic accident. After graduating from university, he continued musical activities with Kim Hyun-sik and Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and in August 1987 he released his first full-length album "Because I Love You," drawing attention as a gifted musician. But only three months after the album came out, he died, plunging the public into deep shock.
With the single album he left behind in his lifetime, Yu Jae-ha opened a new horizon for Korean ballad. His music continues to be loved across generations, and it remains a textbook of creative inspiration for younger musicians.
The "Yu Jae-ha Music Competition" held in his name has been held every year since 1989. This competition has produced many talented musicians such as Cho Kyu-chan, Yoo Hee-yeol, Shim Hyun-bo, Im Heon-il, Sweet Sorrow, Jung Joon-il, and Nori Fly, continuing Yu Jae-ha's musical spirit. In 2017, a tribute album featuring younger artists was released to mark the 30th anniversary of his debut.
Three years after Yu Jae-ha's death, on Nov. 1, 1990, Kim Hyun-sik also ended his life from cirrhosis. He was 33. Yet his music continued to live on after his death.
The posthumous sixth album "My Love by My Side," released the following year, sold more than 1 million copies shortly after its release and was loved by the public. His signature songs "Like Rain, Like Music," "I Loved You," "Love Story in the Rain," and the posthumous "My Love by My Side" remain classic songs lodged in many people's memories.
Kim Hyun-sik sang of love, loneliness and life's solitude with his uniquely rough yet warm voice. That heartfelt emotion still moves listeners across generations.
The two musicians who lived short lives are now buried under the same sky, but their music still connects generations. In particular, the musical "Our Love," taken from a song title by Yu Jae-ha, brings Yu Jae-ha, Kim Hyun-sik and the late Kim Kwang-seok — three legends of Korean popular music — back to the stage and comforts fans' hearts.
[Photo] the late Yu Jae-ha, album cover