"Carrying Everyone and Leaving. Far, Far Away from You"…Singer Bangsili Passes Away

Suffering from Cerebral Infarction Since 2007

Singer Bang Sil-i (real name Bang Young-soon), formerly of the Seoul Sisters, passed away at the age of 61 on the morning of the 20th at a nursing hospital in Ganghwa, Incheon. It is reported that Bang Sil-i closed her eyes due to a cerebral infarction, which she had been battling for 17 years since 2007.

Singer Bang Sil-i (real name Bang Young-sun) [Image source=Yonhap News]

The deceased was born in 1963 on Ganghwa Island, Incheon. She took her first steps into the music industry in the 1980s while performing at the US 8th Army base, and in 1985, she formed the female trio group 'Seoul Sisters' with Park Jin-sook and Yang Jeong-hee.

During her time with the Seoul Sisters, she gained public attention with hit songs such as "Cheotcha" (First Train), "Baetgodong" (Ship's Horn), and "Cheongchun Yeolcha" (Youth Train). In 1990, after the Seoul Sisters disbanded, she transitioned to a solo career, leaving behind representative songs still remembered today, including "Seoul Tango" and "Yeojaui Maeum" (A Woman's Heart), earning great honor. "Cheotcha" is well known for its lyrics, "Running through the dawn fog... carrying all my heart as I leave. Far, far away from you," and was also remade by Super Junior.

Bang Sil-i remained active as a singer in the 2000s, consistently releasing albums, but after suffering a cerebral infarction in 2007, she devoted herself to battling the illness until earlier this year. Last year, she appeared on the TV Chosun program "Star Documentary My Way," sharing updates on her condition during her illness.

The deceased's funeral was held at the Chamsarang Funeral Hall in Ganghwa County, Incheon.