Hakchon founder and ‘Morning Dew’ singer Kim Min-ki dies at 73

Hakchon founder and ‘Morning Dew’ singer Kim Min-ki.

Kim Min-ki, the singer who made “Morning Dew” and led a small theater Hakchon, has passed away after battling stomach cancer. He was 73 years old. He passed away at 8:26 p.m. on July 21, a day after his condition deteriorated during outpatient treatment at his home in Gyeonggi Province and he was taken to a hospital.

Kim Sung-min, the deceased‘s nephew and head of the general affairs team at Hakchon, held a press conference at Haklim, a cafe in Daehangno, Seoul, on the 22nd and said, “Although he left unexpectedly, he had said many words of gratitude to his family and other close people for three to four months.” He added, “Regarding Hakchon, he said, ‘It‘s right to end here,’ and ’I‘ve done enough.’”

Kim was an artist who always tried to breathe with the shadow of the times. "Morning dew," which he composed in 1970, has become a symbol of the times as it is widely sung in the field of the pro-democracy movement.

After opening Hakchon in Daehangno with his own money, he lived a life as a theater director. Hakchon’s representative performance, “Subway Line 1,” is considered to have opened a new era of small theater performances. From 2004, Kim focused on children’s performances, which were less profitable. Despite chronic deficits, he remained committed to children‘s plays until the end. The theater closed in March due to his deteriorating health and business difficulties. Even at the moment the theater closed, Kim only said, "Everyone is just grateful, thank you."

The mortuary was set up at the funeral hall of Seoul National University Hospital. He is survived by his spouse, Lee Mi-young, and two sons. The coffin will be borne on the 24th, and the cortege will stop by at Hakchon and head to the burial site in the morning.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.