Singer Ok-hee laid to rest; husband Hong Su-hwan says he 'lived with such a great artist'

A funeral service for the late singer Ok-hee was held Wednesday under the auspices of the Korea Singers Association.

Her husband, former world boxing champion Hong Su-hwan, delivered a farewell address at the service held at Asan Medical Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul. "I believe she has gone to heaven," he said. "I am deeply grateful to so many people for gathering here — as someone who shared her life." He added, "I find myself thinking, did I really live with such a great singer? Even after 30 years together, I keep seeing an even more wonderful side of her."

Park Sang-cheol, chairman of the Korea Singers Association, joined singers Yoo Hyun-sang, Kang Jin, Lim Hee-suk, Jang Mi-hwa and Kang Hye-yeon — all close to the deceased — in attending the service to bid her a final farewell.

Hong said that while he had shed many tears, he imagined his wife standing before God and being asked what her greatest hit was. "She would answer, 'It was "Best Friend."' And I think God would say, 'Give her a suite,'" he said. "I believe she has gone to heaven."

"To everyone here, she must have seemed like such a lively, fun person," Hong said. "But to me, she was a woman of very few words." He added that while she was always eager to help others, she would often go an entire day without saying a word to her own family. "You only really know someone when you've lived with them," he said.

Addressing those who had gathered to see Ok-hee off, he said he hoped they would all stay healthy. "I hope people will look out for one another over even small things, so that no one dies from a health problem that could have been caught in time," he said.

Singer Lim Hee-suk said in her tribute, "Ok-hee never once said she was in pain, even when she was suffering — and now we must let her go. I can't believe it. I truly never thought Ok-hee would leave us for heaven." Jang Mi-hwa addressed the deceased directly: "Ok-hee, to think I have to greet you now through this cold portrait photo — how much pain you must have been in. The days when we stood on stage together and sang were so fierce and passionate. You were a diva who commanded the stage with your one-of-a-kind husky voice and confident presence — more magnificent than anyone."

Ok-hee, who rose to fame in the 1970s with hits including "Best Friend" and "I Don't Know," died June 20 after a battle with cancer. She was 73.

Ok-hee debuted as the leader of the five-member girl group Seoul Sisters and performed internationally before returning to Korea and launching a successful solo career.

She was born in 1953 in Busan, where her family had fled during the Korean War, to parents who performed with a traveling theatrical troupe. After the truce, the family moved to Seoul, and Ok-hee — then a third-year student at Baehwa Girls' Middle School — was introduced to singer Hyun Mi through an aunt who ran a dress shop in Myeong-dong. That encounter led her to audition for a supplier of the US Eighth Army show circuit, marking her entry into the entertainment world.

After debuting as the leader of the five-member Seoul Sisters in 1968, she performed across the world, including in Hong Kong, the Middle East, the United States and Canada.

Following her return to Korea, Ok-hee launched her solo career in 1974 with "I Don't Know" and went on to score a string of hits, including "Speak With Your Eyes," "I Think I Know Where You Are," "Ah, That Day," "Best Friend" and "Hold My Hands."

Ok-hee was diagnosed with kidney cancer last year and underwent treatment. Her final recordings were "Grateful Love," released in 2024, and "Life Train," included on the album "Singing the Legends" by the music collective Yewuhoe.

Even in March, while still undergoing treatment, she appeared on KBS's music program "Gayo Mudae" and gave a passionate performance of "Flower of Passion," showing her enduring love of music.

She is survived by her husband Hong Su-hwan and their son and daughter.