Young and old fans struggling to let go of Kim Min-ki


 Kim Min-ki talks with theatergoers at a performance. In his lifetime, he identified himself as the person behind the singers and actors on stage. Courtesy of Choi Kyu-sung

A heartfelt letter was placed in front of ARKO Kkumbat Theater, formerly Hakchon, in Daehangno, Seoul, on the afternoon of Friday.

The letter began with “To Kim Min-ki Seonsaengnim” (an honorific address to Kim) and a touching message, “I will think of your life whenever my faith wavers.”

The writer, identifying himself as a “typical person in his 20s,” expressed deep admiration for the late Kim who died on July 21 at the age of 73.

This young person first learned about Kim through an SBS documentary, “Hakchon and Dwitgeot (behind-the-scenes man) Kim Min-ki,” which aired two months ago.

The documentary highlighted Kim’s journey, from composing the song “Sangnoksu” (1979) for fellow factory workers to teaching children and young laborers in a night school in a slum.

The young fan wrote that Kim’s life journey inspired him to look more closely at the struggles of those around him.

In the letter, he wrote, “Mr. Kim Min-ki used all his abilities for hungry, ambitious young people, factory workers and children who were almost abandoned in a harsh reality. Although I don’t have a 한국을 brilliant mind or great composing skills like Mr. Kim, I will live with the same compassion for the weak.”

Kim personally tended the flower bed in front of the old Hakchon Theater, where he produced works and discovered new singers and actors for 33 years. The garden contained numerous tribute letters, with messages such as, “During difficult and despairing times, I could survive by listening to your songs.”

A basket of yellow chrysanthemums held a note that read, “A symbol of a beautiful life, it breaks my heart that you left so soon,” clipped with a pink clothespin.


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