Active Roles in 'Utsum-ui Panorama', 'Single Bungle Show', and 'Utsumyeon Boki Wayo'
Veteran comedian Lee Soon-joo passed away from a myocardial infarction on the afternoon of the 6th. She was 76 years old.
She began her career as a comedian while in her first year at Seorabeol Art College (now Chung-Ang University), standing out in the Jeil Girl's Troupe. She performed on the theater show stage alongside Song Hae, Koo Bong-seo, and Seo Young-chun. In 1970, she became the first female MC in Korea by solely hosting the Asia Song Festival. She took full responsibility for the stage after Bae Sam-ryong, who was supposed to co-host, fell ill.
Kim Kyung-tae, a TBC broadcasting committee member who watched the song festival at the time, selected her to create a new radio program called "Panorama of Laughter." She quickly gained popularity working alongside Song Hae. She also played a leading role in shows such as "Single Bungle Show," "Humor Theater," "Humor No. 1," and "If You Laugh, Fortune Comes," establishing herself as a top female comedian.
Her health deteriorated due to excessive work. She suffered from gastrointestinal diseases severe enough to require hospitalization three times a year. After taking a break from broadcasting, she failed in a business venture and moved to the United States in 1980 with a performance team.
She returned in 1985 and hosted the KBS radio program "Mrs. Lee from LA," but as a U.S. permanent resident, she repeatedly left and re-entered the country, limiting her broadcasting activities. In 1994, she settled in Atlanta, Georgia, where she studied theology at Atlanta Theological Seminary and Immanuel Theological Seminary, becoming an evangelist. She hosted news and talk shows on LA Miju Christian Broadcasting and returned to Korea in 2013.
The funeral parlor is set up at Seongae Hospital in Singil-dong, Seoul. The burial site is at Mugunghwa Park Cemetery in Gyeonggi Province, with the funeral procession scheduled for 8 a.m. on the 9th.
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