Kim Kwang-Seok - Death and Beyond

Death and Beyond

After his suicide, allegations were made, all of which were unsubstantiated. Events and projects have been organized in commemoration of Kim Kwang-Seok ever since his death. A tribute concert has been held annually by singers across musical genres including rock and roll and hip-hop, and his albums sell steadily, marking 5 million copies as of January 2007. On 6 January 2008, the 12th anniversary of his death, a memorial relief sculpture was unveiled at the concert hall where he held a thousand times of concert, drawing many fans remembering him. In November 2010, more than 20 artists, designers, and sculptors made collective work of mural to the memory of Kim Kwang-Seok in the city of Daegu, where he spent his early years.Critics and reporters analyze his legacy and persisting fervor for his music in numerous articles and books such as ‘Biography of Kim Kwang-Seok, an unsent message’ by Lee Yoon-Ock and ‘The 100 masterpiece albums of Korean Popular Music’ by Park Joon-Hum et al. From the perspective of history of Korean popular music, he is the direct descendent as well as the successor of Korean topical folk rock, which was initiated by Han Dae-Su and flourished with songs of Kim Min-Gi, Jung Tae-Choon, and arguably Cho Dong-Jin in early 1970s under the harsh rule of the dictator Park Chung Hee, who was in power from 1961 to 1979. However, even though Kim Kwang-Seok’s music was clearly rooted in social issues in his early years of career, he also empathized with sorrow and frustration of individuals, which had been downplayed in the struggle for democracy. Around the late 80s and early 90s, with the improvement of democracy in Korean society, young generations began to turn their attention from collectivism and community to individualism and experiences of contemporary peers. He illustrated the lives of people with loving eyes, but stayed in composure. Lee Joo-Yup, a music critic argues that his songs portrayed individuals who are constantly hovering around the border of pessimism and optimism, but sublimated the self-consciousness that never give up the strain of facing the reality. “Standing in the midst of darkness of night, I can’t see even an inch ahead, where I am going, where I am standing, uselessly looked around, drifting over the river of life like floating weed, I may perish away at unknown river bank, stand up, stand up, give it a try, stand up, stand up, like the sprouts in Spring” (Stand up)