Comedian and singer the late Kim Cheol-min has now been gone four years. Known as the "Marronnier gentleman," his smile and guitar that sang hope still remain in many people's memories.
The late Kim Cheol-min died on Dec. 16, 2021, after battling lung cancer. He was 54. He was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in Aug. 2019 and continued a difficult fight. At the time, he showed determination, saying "I will hold on until the end," and tried every method, including taking the veterinary dewormer "fenbendazole," refusing to give up his will to live.
Even while battling illness, Kim Cheol-min communicated with the public through his social media and delivered messages of hope. After taking fenbendazole, he said "I am getting better little by little," but later calmly reported that "the dewormer did not beat the cancer," which pained his fans.
In Aug. 2021 he confessed that "I am currently unable to undergo chemotherapy," saying he had "received 12 rounds of chemotherapy, five cervical replacement surgeries, 70 radiation treatments, 10 CyberKnife treatments, and is receiving painkillers every two hours." He added that "cancer cells have spread throughout my body, but I will not give up," reaffirming his resolve to fight until the end.
But in Nov. of that year he posted that he was "fighting the final battle," and a month later on Dec. 10 he left a last farewell: "Thanks to you, I was happy. Thank you. I love you." Fans and colleagues expressed desperate hopes on his social media that "a miracle will happen," but the late entertainer eventually closed his eyes after more than two years of illness.
His close friend, singer Yoon Hyo-sang, recounted Kim Cheol-min's last wishes on the TV CHOSUN program "Bokdeongi Deulgo (GO)," which aired in 2023, saying, "Before he left for heaven he asked me, 'I can't protect Daehangno, so please protect it until the end.'" Yoon Hyo-sang revealed the guitar Kim Cheol-min left behind and said, "It's the legacy that friend passed on to me," drawing an emotional response.
The late Kim Cheol-min debuted in 1994 as a comedian in MBC's fifth open recruitment class and was active on shows such as Gagya and If you laugh, good fortune comes. He also delivered songs of hope through busking performances in Daehangno, earning the nickname "Marronnier gentleman."
He also pursued a path as a musician, releasing original songs such as "It's okay" and "You and love." Even bedridden, he never put down his guitar, and that image remains a symbol of courage and comfort for many.
[Photo] OSEN DB, late Kim Cheol-min SNS
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