Funeral on the 10th, Over 80 Gather to Bid Farewell
Yong-sik Lee: "Now, Please Sing 'Heaven's Singing Contest' Before the Countless Stars"
Ja-yeon Lee: "A Teacher to All... Forever in Our Hearts"
[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] 'National MC' Song Hae passed away on the 10th, accompanied by his family and acquaintances. The Song Hae Funeral Committee held a farewell ceremony at 4:30 a.m. at the Seoul National University Hospital funeral hall. The deceased was found collapsed in his home bathroom on the 8th and was taken to the hospital but passed away. He was 95 years old.
Family and acquaintances who were with the deceased during his lifetime mourned the loss. Um Youngsoo, president of the Korea Broadcasting Comedians Association, who regarded Song Hae as an elder brother during his lifetime, said in his eulogy, “At the age of 61, when most people retire, he took on the role of MC for 'National Singing Contest,' leaving the best record in broadcasting history. He was the oldest MC at 95 for the longest-running program of 34 years and the most popular MC,” adding, “Please rest comfortably and freely in heaven where there is no cue sheet. We respect and love you,” choking up. He emphasized, “Mr. Song Hae never spoke negatively. He never once said, ‘I can’t handle this’ or ‘I will quit (National Singing Contest) halfway.’”
Lee Yong-sik, a junior whom the deceased especially cherished during his lifetime, said, “Many juniors and acquaintances who always wanted to see him gathered in front of his portrait this early morning,” and added, “Now, please shout ‘Heavenly Singing Contest’ in front of countless stars. Please meet Mr. Gu Bong-seo, whom you called brother, and senior Lee Joo-il in heaven, and tell them that we juniors are doing well.” He continued, “Meet your son and wife happily, and now rest without pain. Our country has the East Sea, the South Sea, the West Sea, and Song Hae.”
Lee Ja-yeon, president of the Korea Singers Association, said, “Last week, I wanted to meet and go eat something delicious...” and was at a loss for words for a while. She said, “For the past 70 years, the teacher was a mentor, a father, and an elder brother to everyone,” and “Though the teacher has left, we cannot send him off. He will remain forever in our hearts.”
At the farewell ceremony, the deceased’s voice from the documentary 'Song Hae 1927' was played. When the deceased led the chant of ‘National,’ everyone gathered at the ceremony responded with ‘Singing Contest.’
Afterwards, seven singers including Seol Woon-do, Moon Hee-ok, Lee Ja-yeon, and Kim Hye-yeon sang 'Morning Glory Life' as a group.
On the morning of the 10th, in front of the KBS headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, at the memorial ceremony for the late 'National MC' broadcaster Song Hae, the band that performed with him on 'National Singing Contest' is seeing off the deceased on his final journey with music. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The pallbearers were juniors Choi Yang-rak, Im Ha-ryong, Yoo Jae-suk, Kang Ho-dong, Jo Se-ho, and Yang Sang-guk. The hearse, after leaving the funeral hall, visited 'Song Hae-gil' in Nakwon-dong, Jongno-gu, where the deceased often frequented restaurants serving gukbap, barbershops, and saunas, then stopped by the KBS main building in Yeouido before heading to the crematorium in Gimcheon City. At KBS, the band that performed with ‘National Singing Contest’ accompanied the final journey with music.
The deceased, who held the MC position for the longest-running KBS program ‘National Singing Contest’ for 34 years, was loved as the ‘oldest MC’ (95 years old) and set a Guinness World Record this year as the ‘National MC.’
On the afternoon of the 8th, broadcasters Yoo Jae-suk and Jo Se-ho are mourning the deceased at the funeral hall set up for Song Hae at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The deceased’s funeral hall was continuously visited by figures from broadcasting, entertainment, and politics. On the first day, the 8th, Yoo Jae-suk, Jo Se-ho, Shim Hyung-rae, Um Young-soo, Im Ha-ryong, Hong Rok-gi, Lee Yong-sik, Kim Soo-yong, Kim Yong-man, Kim Hak-rae, Yoo Dong-geun, Jo Young-nam, Kim Heung-guk, Seol Woon-do, Johnny Lee, Im Baek-cheon, Lee Sang-byeok, Lee Sang-yong, Song Ga-in, Jang Min-ho, and Jung Dong-won visited to pay their respects.
On the second day, the 9th, Choi Bul-am, Jeon Hyun-moo, Kim Sook, Lim Sung-hoon, Lee Mi-ja, Lee Soon-jae, Jeon Won-ju, Park Jin-do, Park Sang-chul, Yoo Min-sang, Moon Se-yoon, Kim Min-kyung, Hong Yun-hwa, Tae Jin-ah, Ji Byung-soo, Moon Hee-ok, Song Dae-gwan, and In Soon-yi paid their respects.
Former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo-gyun, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon, former National Assembly member Jo Won-jin, Gangnam District Mayor Jung Soon-gyun, Dalseong County Governor Kim Moon-oh, and former Special Minister Lee Jae-oh also visited the deceased’s funeral hall.
The deceased’s remains will be interred beside his wife Seok Ok-yi at Song Hae Park in Dalseong County, Daegu, which he regarded as his ‘second hometown’ during his lifetime.
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