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Kim Min-ki김민기
Born	(1951-03-31)March 31, 1951 Iri, North Jeolla Province, South Korea
Died	July 21, 2024(2024-07-21) (aged 73) Seoul, South Korea
Genres	Folk rock
Occupations	Singer composer playwright
Awards	Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit (2018)
Korean name
Hangul	김민기
Hanja	金敏基
Revised Romanization	Gim Min-gi
McCune–Reischauer	Kim Minki

Kim Min-ki (Korean: 김민기; Hanja: 金敏基; March 31, 1951 – July 21, 2024) was a South Korean singer, composer, and playwright. He was best known for his 1970 song, "Morning Dew," and for his 1994 Korean adaptation of the German musical, Linie 1.

Early life and education

Kim was born on March 31, 1951, the youngest of 10 children, in Iri (present-day Iksan), North Jeolla Provence, South Korea. His family moved to Seoul in 1963, and he enrolled in Seoul National University to study fine arts in 1969.

Career

Kim first came to prominence as the composer of the tune "Achim Isul" (Korean: "아침 이슬", literally "Morning dew"), which was written in 1970 and performed by Korean folk singer Yang Hee-eun. The song was a major pop music hit in Korea in the 70s, and Kim became a prominent figure in blending Korean folk and pop musics, as well as an outspoken political activist and representative of youth culture. Kim's songs discussed the Americanization of Korean culture and questioned relations between North and South Korea, and his lyrical and musical style were a major influence on the genre known as Norae Undong ("Song Movement") which became popular in the 1980s. Sangnoksu (상록수, Sangnoksu, 거치른 들판에 푸르른 솔잎처럼, Geochireun deulpane pureureun soripcheoreom, lit. Evergreen) composed in 1979, was one of the favorites of the pro-democracy students until the late 1980s.

He released nine albums before 1975, at which time his music was censored by the government; his albums were pulled from record stores, playing of his music over the radio or singing it in public was banned, and he was not permitted to release material under his own name. He composed the music for a 1981 film, A Small Ball Shot by a Midget, which was not permitted to be used by government censors who reviewed the film. This moratorium continued until June 26, 1987, when all restrictions on the performance of his material were lifted.

During his period of censorship, Kim turned to writing plays, which began to be performed after 1987. He also formed an acting troupe, Hakchon, which performs musicals he composed. His adaption of the German rock musical Linie 1 was first performed in 1994 and has been given over 1,000 times in Korea, as well as being performed in China and Japan. In 2007 he received the Goethe Medal.

Death

Kim died from stomach cancer in Seoul, on July 21, 2024, at the age of 73.

Awards

References

1. Lee, Claire (August 13, 2013). "Cultural icons reflect spirit of the times". The Korea Herald. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
2. ^ Bak, Don-gyu (February 2, 2007). "김민기씨, 독일 최고 문화훈장 '괴테 메달' 받는다". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved November 4, 2018.
3. I, Jin-sun (April 3, 2015). "아침이슬, 그 사람". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Retrieved November 4, 2018.
4. ^ Provine, Hwang, and Hershaw. Korea. The Rough Guide to World Music, vol.2. Rough Guides, 2000, p.165.
5. ^ Ch`ang-Nam, Kim; Kyung-ja, Chun (March 1987). "The Spirit of Folksongs and Realism in Song - The Musical World of Kim Min-gi". Korea Journal (in Korean). 27 (3): 28–41. ISSN 0023-3900.
6. Shin, Hyunjoon; Lee, Seung-Ah (2016-09-13). Made in Korea: Studies in Popular Music. Routledge. p. 1976. ISBN 978-1-317-64573-3.
7. ^ Kim Min-ki, KBS Global. Accessed September 26, 2007.
8. Korean Film Archives. Accessed September 26, 2007.
9. Die Preisträger, Goethe-Institut (German).
10. "'배움의 밭' 대학로 소극장 이끈 김민기 별세…향년 73세(종합)". YNA. 22 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
11. "70s-80s iconic singer-composer Kim Min-ki dies". The Korea Times. 22 July 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
12. I, Dae-hyeon (March 30, 2001). "제 37회 백상예술대상 시상식 / 김민기 김수현씨 '리베라 메' 대상 영예". Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved November 4, 2018.
13. Seo, Jeong-min (February 28, 2013). "버터플라이·싸이 '화려한 귀환'…인디·비주류 음악 대중속으로". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Retrieved November 4, 2018.
14. On, Ra-in (October 10, 2018). "[포토뉴스]'2018 대중문화예술상' 올해 수상자는?". Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). Retrieved November 4, 2018.

External Links

• Kim Min-ki discography at Discogs

• 1951 births
• 2024 deaths
• South Korean folk rock musicians
• South Korean male songwriters
• South Korean male composers
• Seoul National University alumni
• People from Iksan
• Musicians from North Jeolla Province
• Recipients of the Ho-Am Prize in the Arts
• Deaths from stomach cancer in South Korea