“Morning Dew” singer and theater founder Kim Min-gi dies at the age of 73

Kim Min-gi, a folk singer known for the 1971 song “Morning Dew” and founder of the iconic small Korean theater Hakchon in Daehangno, central Seoul, died on Sunday. He was 73. Kim suffered from stomach cancer, which was diagnosed last year.

He leaves behind his wife and two sons. A funeral home has been set up at Seoul National University Hospital.

Kim debuted as a singer-songwriter in 1971 with his first and only studio album, “Kim Min-gi” (1971), which includes songs such as “Morning Dew” and “A Child Who Blossoms” (translated). “Morning Dew” was closely associated with student activism and Korea’s democratic movement at the time, which led to the song being banned by the Park Chung Hee regime.

In 1991, Kim founded Hakchon. Originally used as a concert hall for singers, it provided a stage for those displaced by the rapid spread of K-pop culture, laying the foundation for today’s indie band performance culture. Artists such as folk musicians Towner & Town Chief, Zoo, Yoo Jae-ha and jazz singer Nah Youn-sun performed at Hakchon, and the late folk singer Kim Kwang-seok held live concerts at the venue annually from 1991 to 1995.

Kim directed the representative musical “Subway Line 1”, which premiered in 1994. It was a remake of the German musical of the same name, which premiered in 1986. The musical featured veteran stars such as Sul Kyung-gu, Hwang Jung-min and Cho Seung-woo.

Due to financial difficulties and Kim’s deteriorating health, Kim’s venue was threatened with closure on March 15. A number of artists were able to save Hakchon by participating in the “Hakchon Again” project, and on July 17, the theater reopened as the Arko Kkumbat Theater in central Seoul.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG ([email protected])