Kim Min-Ki

Place: Iri (Present-Day Iksan)

Born: 1951

Biography:

Kim Min-ki, also known as Dew Kim, is a South Korean singer, composer, and playwright. He was born on March 31, 1951, in Iri (present-day Iksan), North Jeolla Province, South Korea, and enrolled in Seoul National University to study fine arts in 1969. Kim first came to prominence as the composer of the tune 'Achim Isul' (Morning dew) in 1970, which was performed by Korean folk singer Yang Hee-eun. He became a prominent figure in blending Korean folk and pop musics, as well as an outspoken political activist and representative of youth culture. Kim's songs discussed the Americanization of Korean culture and questioned relations between North and South Korea, and his lyrical and musical style were a major influence on the genre known as Norae Undong ('Song Movement') which became popular in the 1980s. He released nine albums before 1975, at which time his music was censored by the government. Kim turned to writing plays, which began to be performed after 1987. He also formed an acting troupe, Hakchon, which performs musicals he composed. His adaption of the German rock musical Linie 1 was first performed in 1994 and has been given over 1,000 times in Korea, as well as being performed in China and Japan. In 2007 he received the Goethe Medal.