Song Hae

He had been the host of the longest running music show National Singing Contest from 1988 until his death in 2022, and was also a veteran of the Korean War.

Song Hae
Born	Song Bok-hee (1927-04-27)27 April 1927 Sainei, Kōkai-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan
Died	8 June 2022(2022-06-08) (aged 95) Seoul, South Korea
Nationality	South Korean
Education	Haeju Arts School, Hwanghae-do – Dept. of Vocal Music (dropped out)
Occupations	TV host singer comedian
Years active	1949–2022
Spouse	Suk Ok-ee ​ ​ (m. 1953; died 2018)​
Korean name
Hangul	송해
Hanja	宋海
Revised Romanization	Song Hae
McCune–Reischauer	Song Hae
Birth name
Hangul	송복희
Hanja	宋福熙
Revised Romanization	Song Bok-hui
McCune–Reischauer	Song Pokhŭi
Signature

Song Bok-hee was born on 27 April 1927 in modern-day Chaeryŏng-gun, South Hwanghae Province in North Korea. His family was part of the Yeosan Song clan. Song started as a singer who majored in operatic singing in Haeju conservatory of music in 1949.

During the Korean War, he fled via boat to the south, arriving in the port of Busan. He later used the stage name, Hae (meaning sea), as a memory of this voyage. Song served as a military signaller for the South, and claimed to have transmitted the message for the ceasefire of the Korean War.

In 1955, Song Hae debuted in the Changgong musical troupe. In 1988, at the age of 60, Song became the MC for Korea Sings(National Singing Contest) of KBS, a position he held until his death in 2022.

In 1953, Song married his wife, Suk Ok-ee. In 1986, his son Chang-jin (1966–1986) was killed in a bike accident on the Hannam Bridge. On 20 January 2018, Ok-ee passed away.

Song died at his home in Gangnam of Seoul on 8 June 2022, aged 95. He was cremated at a crematory in Gimcheon and his ashes were buried at the family cemetery nearby Songhae Park (Korean: 송해공원) in Daegu on June 10, 2022.

Television shows

Film