Turtleman, the leader of the coed group Turtles who always conveyed positive energy and hope with bright, exciting songs, has been gone from our side for 18 years.
On April 2, 2026, it will be the 18th anniversary of the death of the late Turtleman (real name Lim Seong-hoon). The late Lim died of acute myocardial infarction at his home on April 2, 2008. He was 38.
Turtleman, who debuted in 2001 with Turtles' first album "Go! Boogi!", led Turtles' popularity not only with his intense, lively rapping but also by taking charge of lyrics and composing. Turtles' hit songs that he personally wrote, composed and produced, such as "Four Seasons", "Bingo" and "Airplane", are still much loved today.
In 2005, Turtleman suddenly collapsed after leaving his lodging in Jamwon-dong, Seoul, and was taken to the hospital; he underwent two surgeries that year for myocardial infarction. Although he could not be active for more than a year to recover his health, he underwent steady treatment and rehabilitation exercises to return, and made a brilliant comeback with the fourth album "Airplane".
Turtleman was continuing active promotions after releasing the fifth studio album "Obang Ganda" in February 2008, but his sudden death two months after the release evoked deep regret. On the Mnet program "Once Again" that aired in 2020, the period when Turtleman was hospitalized after his 2005 surgery was spotlighted. Doctors advised that after a month of inpatient treatment at the hospital and losing 30 kg, the myocardial infarction symptoms would be cured, and Turtleman accepted this and lost weight, but when he could no longer sing with his previously distinctive tone, he reportedly gave up treatment, which aroused sadness.
Because most of his earnings had to be used for myocardial infarction treatment, Turtleman is known to have lived in poverty. At the time of his death he was reportedly about 400 million won in debt, and Turtleman's remains were interred at the Utopia Memorial Hall in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province.
With many people still missing Turtleman, Ment's "AI music project - Once Again" restored Turtleman's image with AI, and together with Geumbi and Ji-yi they performed as a full group for the first time in 12 years, moving viewers.
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