North Korean music stars died at age 77
Here are 3 famous musicians from North Korea died at 77:
Paek Nam-sun
Paek Nam-sun (March 13, 1929 Suwon-January 2, 2007 Pyongyang) was a North Korean politician.
Paek Nam-sun was one of the key figures in North Korea's ruling party, and was considered a close confidant of the country's leader, Kim Jong-il. He began his career as a fighter in the Korean War, and later rose through the ranks to become Minister of Foreign Affairs and then Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. Paek was widely regarded as a hardliner, and was known for his strong anti-American views. Despite this, he was also involved in efforts to improve relations with South Korea, and was instrumental in organizing the historic inter-Korean summit of 2000. In addition to his political career, Paek was also a prolific writer and scholar, and published numerous works on North Korean politics, economics, and ideology.
He died in lung cancer.
Read more about Paek Nam-sun on Wikipedia »
Richard E. Kim
Richard E. Kim (March 13, 1932 Hamhung-June 23, 2009 Shutesbury) a.k.a. Richard Kim, Richard Eun Kook Kim or Richard E. Kim was a North Korean writer.
He gained international recognition for his autobiographical novel "Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood," where he depicts his childhood experiences during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1930s and 1940s. Kim was born in Hamhung, North Korea, and grew up in Seoul. He studied English literature at Dongguk University in Seoul and later continued his studies in the United States, earning a Ph.D. in English from Harvard University. Kim wrote several books, including his first novel "The Martyred," which won the Prix de Rome, and "The Innocent," which was a finalist for the National Book Award. He also taught at several universities in the United States and Canada, including the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he served as a professor of English for nearly 30 years.
Read more about Richard E. Kim on Wikipedia »
O Jin-u
O Jin-u (March 8, 1917 North Hamgyong Province-February 25, 1995) was a North Korean personality.
He was a revolutionary, politician, writer, and journalist who played a significant role in the formation and development of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). O Jin-u was a member of the Workers' Party of Korea and one of the most trusted aides of the country's founder, Kim Il-sung. He served in a number of high-ranking positions, including Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly. O Jin-u was known for his intellectual prowess and was instrumental in the development of the Juche ideology, which remains the guiding principle of the DPRK to this day. He was also a prolific writer, publishing several works on politics, culture, and society in North Korea. Throughout his life, O Jin-u remained committed to the cause of socialism and the development of his country.
Read more about O Jin-u on Wikipedia »