Broadcaster Johnny Yoon (born Yoon Jong-seung), known as a legend of the talk show, has been gone for six years.
Johnny Yoon died on March 8, 2020, at a nursing hospital in Los Angeles, United States. He was 84.
The late Johnny Yoon had shown severe symptoms of dementia since 2017 and had been receiving treatment at a nursing hospital in LA, but he died after battling a cerebral hemorrhage and dementia. At his last moment, his ex-wife Julia Lee was reported to have stayed by his side.
The late Johnny Yoon was born in 1936 in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, and went to study in the United States as soon as he graduated from high school. He graduated from the voice department at Wesleyan University and later worked in the United States as a film actor and stand-up comedian.
In the 1970s he appeared on the Tonight Show, then regarded as the top comedy show, becoming the first Asian to appear and rising to stardom with his witty talk and humor that dominated audiences. With his distinctive speaking skills and wit, he was active on NBC as well as in New York and Las Vegas. He received New York's top entertainer award in 1973 and set a record by appearing on the Tonight Show 34 times as a comedian representing Asia beyond Korea.
Later, Johnny Yoon attempted an American-style conversational talk show in Korea with KBS 2TV's Johnny Yoon Show, which aired from March 1989 to April 1990, and received great love. The Johnny Yoon Show is regarded as the forerunner of the Joo Byung-jin Show and the Seo Se-won Show.
Although it was beloved, the Johnny Yoon Show suddenly ended due to brief broadcasting, and on that he said in a lifetime interview, "At the time there was no freedom of the press and there were many restrictions in broadcasting. Even if you worked hard on a broadcast, it was often edited out. That made me lose interest in broadcasting. I enjoyed political and sexy comedy, but I faced many restraints. When I did a gag, the production staff had to write a report ?��?," he said.
Following news of Johnny Yoon's death, many juniors expressed their condolences. At the time, Lee Hong-ryeol lamented, "He was someone I greatly respected because he elevated Korea's standing through stand-up comedy." Jeon Yu-sung, who died last year, also expressed respect, saying, "He opened a new chapter for us, and I am grateful. I heard he passed away in the United States, so I am very sorry."
[Photo] Provided by KBS.
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