Choe Gu-hee, guitarist of band Deulgukhwa, dies after cancer battle

Choe Gu-hee, born Choe Dong-hee, the guitarist of rock band Deulgukhwa, died Aug. 16. He was 67.

Choe died after failing to recover from stomach cancer, music industry sources said Monday.

Singer Yang Jeong-won, a close acquaintance of the late musician, wrote on SNS Sunday that "the divinely gifted guitarist Choe Gu-hee has finished his life's picnic and gone to heaven," adding, "You worked so hard through difficult times. I hope you rest in peace in a place free of pain."

Yang went on to describe Choe as "a genius guitarist who, after leaving Deulgukhwa and wandering countless roads, captured the sounds of nature in his guitar," calling him "a free spirit, unpredictable as a rugby ball."

Deulgukhwa member Choe Seong-won also paid tribute on Facebook, writing: "I hear Gu-hee has finished his picnic and gone home. Yes, rest well — and play guitar with that wonderful clean tone over there, too."

Choe built a distinctive musical world through his work with bands including Mideumsomangsa-rang and Goejjadul. He made his mark as a session guitarist on Deulgukhwa's debut album in 1985, then joined as a full member for the band's second album, "Deulgukhwa II," released in 1986. He wrote both the music and lyrics for two B-sides on that record — "Neorang Narang" and "Joyonghan Maeum" — demonstrating his songwriting abilities. He went on to release solo albums including "Nae Chinguya" in 1989, "Volume One — Sandleubaram" in 2009, and "From Halla to Baekdu" last year, consistently maintaining an active music career.