Singer Yun Hang-gi to mark 65-year career with tribute concert next month

Veteran singer-songwriter Yun Hang-gi, 83, will hold a tribute concert celebrating roughly 65 years in music at Art Hall Mac of Seoul's Mapo Art Center on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m., concert producer Live Moment announced Friday.

Yun, the older brother of musical actor and singer Yun Bok-hee, made his debut in 1959 through the A1 Show, a performance troupe led by composer Kim Hee-gap.

In 1964, he formed the Key Boys — billed as "Korea's Beatles" — and released the group's debut album "Her Lips Are Sweet" that same year. The record is widely regarded as the first album by a Korean group-sound band.

Through his group Yun Hang-gi and the Key Brothers, formed in 1971, and his solo career, he produced a string of hits including "Rose-Colored Scarf," "On a Starry Night," "What Am I Supposed to Do" and "Let's Go to the Beach."

He stepped away from music after releasing "Welcome to Korea" in 1986 to study theology, spending about 30 years as a pastor. After retiring from ministry in 2014, he returned to performing that same year with a 55th-anniversary golden album featuring the new track "Don't Worry."

The concert will feature a roster of younger stars from the Korean pop scene, including Choi Baek-ho, Seo Yu-seok, Jang Mi-hwa, Kim Su-hee, Jo Hang-jo, Yu Hyeon-sang, Jeon Yeong-rok, In Soon-i, Choi Hee-seon and So Chan-hwi.

The organizers said the show will include a special 12-song tribute stage on which the performing artists reinterpret Yun's music in their own styles, as well as collaborative performances bringing Yun together with his younger peers.

Audiences can expect to hear some of Yun's signature songs, including "I Am Happy," "Rose-Colored Scarf" and "Everyone."

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Korea Kia Relief's war orphan support program, the Haetbit School for children of multicultural families, and the World Orphan Sponsorship Association Go Ahead.