Korean Sinatra Dead at 82
Kim Jung Ku(photo), 82, regarded for a long time as the Korean Frank Sinatra, died on September 25 at his home in San Jose, California.His unprecedented hit song 'Tumen River in Tears', which was released in 1935, made him a big star. The song is still beloved and sung among old fans. Born in 1916 in Wonsan City, Hamnam Province in the now devided North, he made his debut in 1933 as a mere 17 year-old boy with 'To Mother's Bosom'.
Kim released more than 700 songs in his life time, and in 1980 was conferred with a cultural decoration, the first for a pop artist in Korean history.
He emigrated to the U.S. in 1992 to be with his children, but had been stuggling with illness for quite some time.
He will be buried in Santa Clara Sky Memorial Cemetry in San Jose.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)