Veteran television presenter Song Hae dies at 95

Television

Published: 08 Jun. 2022, 11:32

Veteran television presenter Song Hae dies at 95

Television presenter Song Hae [YONHAP]

Song Hae, a veteran television presenter, died Wednesday. He was 95.

According to local reports, Song passed away in his home and was found by one of his daughters who lived nearby.

Song was reported to have been in poor health since January this year. In March, he took a break from hosting KBS’s long-running weekly singing show “National Singing Contest” (1980-) after contracting Covid-19.

After hosting the show for 34 years, it was reported that Song had asked to step down late last month, with staff members saying that he was “no longer confident hosting the show and that the time had come for him to step down.”

Song hosted KBS's long-running weekly singing show “National Singing Contest” for 34 years. [KBS]

Song was named the “Oldest TV music talent show host” by the Guinness World Records in April this year.

Apart from being a beloved television presenter, Song has also been in numerous advertisements and released 12 albums. In 2021, the story of his career was turned into a feature-length documentary film “Song Hae 1927.”

Song is survived by two daughters. His wife passed away in 2018 and his son died in a car accident in 1994.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]