Yoon: "Teacher Kim Mingi Makes the World Brighter with Pure Passion"

Singer Kim Min-gi, who operated the symbol of Daehangno small theaters, 'Hakjeon,' for over 30 years and nurtured junior artists, passed away on the 21st due to an illness.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol mourned Kim Min-ki, the representative of Hakjeon who passed away, saying, "He left behind so much" on the 22nd.

Through a message on the social networking service (SNS) Facebook that day, President Yoon said, "Teacher Kim Min-ki has left our side," adding, "With a 'pure passion' to see the obvious in a new light, he made the world a brighter place."

He continued, "I once met the teacher at Hakrim Dabang in Dongsung-dong," and said, "That passion resonated deeply in my heart. History will remember the teacher as an eternal youth with infinite affection for art and the world."

He added, "I hope the teacher’s love for children continues at the 'Arko Kkumbat Theater,'" and "I pray for his peaceful rest and offer my condolences to the bereaved family."

The deceased was diagnosed with stomach cancer last year and had been undergoing chemotherapy before passing away at the age of 73 the day before.

Born in 1951 in Iksan, Jeonbuk, he entered the Department of Painting at Seoul National University in 1970 and formed the folk duo Dobidoo with his friend Kim Young-se. The following year, he released his first solo album featuring "Achim Isul (Morning Dew)," which became widely known to the public through singer Yang Hee-eun.

On March 15, 1991, he established the small theater Hakjeon and the theater company Hakjeon in Daehangno, Seoul. Kim Kwang-seok performed 1,000 shows there, and the musical "Subway Line 1" ran for a long time, with many actors such as Seol Kyung-gu, Kim Yoon-seok, Hwang Jung-min, Jang Hyun-sung, and Jo Seung-woo passing through.