TV PERSONALITY SONG HAE DIES AT 95

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Beloved TV personality Song Hae died yesterday at age 95. Mourners visited the funeral home all night long to pay their respects.

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TV personality Song Hae's memorial altar is set up at the Seoul National University Hospital Funeral Home. Mourners came to pay their respects all night long. Song Hae died yesterday morning at age 95 in his home in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. His friends said that he had remained healthy and strong as recent as a few weeks ago. His death took them by surprise. The late celebrity was passionate about his work, hosting KBS’iconic national singing contest "Korea Sings" for 35 years.

[Soundbite] Lee Sang-byuk(TV Personality) : "Performers often say that they want to live and die on the stage. He kept true to those words until the very last moment."

[Soundbite] Yoo Dong-geun(Actor) : "I remember him encouraging and helping fellow performers who were in need."

Culture minister Park Bo-gyoon visited the funeral home last night on behalf of President Yoon Suk-yeol. He sent the President’s message of condolences and conferred the Gold Crown Order of Cultural Merit posthumously.

[Soundbite] Park Bo-gyoon(Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism) : "He gave our society hope and courage and played a big part in building up the Korean broadcasting industry. Remembering those achievements, this Gold Crown Order of Cultural Merit was conferred posthumously."

Politicians of both ruling and opposition camps all issued messages of remembrance. The funeral service will be organized by the Korea Broadcasting Comedy Association and TV personalities Yoo Jae-suk and Kang Ho-dong will oversee the funereal procession. The funeral service will be held early Friday morning and he will be buried near his namesake Songhae Park in Daegu.