Music critic Kim Young Dae suddenly passed away, and it has become more heartbreaking after it was revealed that he spent his final time alive watching a movie with his daughter.
The late critic Kim Young Dae suddenly died on the 24th. The news was shared on the 25th, Christmas, via the official social account on behalf of the bereaved family, and the funeral rites were held on the 27th, after which he was laid to rest at Seoul Memorial Park.
Broadcaster and close friend of the deceased Ahn Hyun-mo conveyed the deceased's final moments on the 28th after the funeral through her SNS. Ahn Hyun-mo said, "This year as always, following his annual Christmas tradition, he watched his favorite movie 'The Family Man' for the last time with his beloved daughter and closed his eyes."
Ahn Hyun-mo recalled the deceased as "a true family man and a father and husband who knew the value of the most precious things in life," and expressed deep sorrow, calling him "my close friend with whom I could speak openly without regard to age or gender." The fact that the head of the family, who dearly loved his family, passed away immediately after spending a happy time with his daughter on Christmas left those remaining even more stunned.
The death of critic Kim Young Dae felt even more unreal because he was actively working up until the day before his death. On the morning of the 25th, when the news was reported, CBS Radio's Kim Hyun-jung's News Show was airing a pre-recorded segment in which the deceased had participated while alive.
On the broadcast, the deceased was cheerfully talking about Christmas and carols, but in reality he was already gone. The production team could not hide their shock, saying through captions and comments, "We are at a loss and cannot control our shocked feelings at this sudden news."
Colleagues' condolences continued after such an early farewell. Singer Yoon Jongshin expressed gratitude, calling him "someone who paid delicate attention to the creator's detailed thoughts," and CNBLUE's Jung Yong-hwa mourned him as "someone who recognized the value of music and always sincerely believed in it."
Writer Heo Ji-woong was heartbroken as he recalled a call in which he and the deceased had promised to meet "later." He wrote, "He said we must do it later. I cannot get any work done all morning," adding, "Let's not promise 'later.' I keep promising 'later' to people I care about and end up not keeping those promises," bringing readers to tears.
Born in 1977, the late critic graduated from Yonsei University's department of business administration and earned a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the University of Washington in the United States. His criticism, which combined the analytical power of business administration with the depth of anthropology, is credited with elevating K-pop criticism from simple appreciation to analysis of it as a "cultural phenomenon." He also engaged with the public as a specialist commentator at international awards such as the Billboard and the Grammys.
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