[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] Comedian Nam Bo-won (real name Kim Deok-yong) passed away on the 21st due to an illness. He was 84 years old.
According to the Korea Broadcasting Comedians Association, Nam Bo-won, who was hospitalized and receiving treatment at Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, passed away around 3:40 PM that day.
The association stated that Nam Bo-won showed signs of health problems from the beginning of the year. Although he recovered temporarily, he lost consciousness again, undergoing repeated treatments and discharges, and ultimately died from pneumonia. It is known that despite suffering from a cold for over a year, he continued to fulfill event schedules whenever his condition slightly improved.
Born in Suncheon, Pyongannam-do, North Korea, the late comedian debuted in 1963 by winning first place in the "Star Birth Comedy" contest hosted by the Film Association. Since then, he has been active as a leading figure in Korean comedy, performing on stages ranging from theaters to home television.
His specialties included vocal mimicry and one-man shows based on the Pyongan dialect. Among these, his depictions of bomber plane bombing sounds, which he likely experienced firsthand during the Korean War, and his impersonation of Emperor Hirohito's surrender broadcast were especially famous.
He was also popular as a comedy duo partner with comedian Baek Nam-bong, who passed away earlier in July 2010.
The funeral hall will be set up at Samsung Seoul Hospital in Irwon-dong, and the burial site will be the family grave at Namhansanseong. The funeral procession is scheduled for the 23rd.
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