Na Hoon-ah (78)’s 59-year career as a singer was like a spark. He touched the hearts of the public with numerous hit songs he wrote and composed himself. He was always at the center of attention, sometimes making unconventional remarks and performances.
Na Hoon-ah debuted in 1966 with ‘A Thousand-Lee Road’ and has always reigned as a top singer, producing numerous hit songs such as ‘Mushiro’, ‘Weeds’, and ‘Galmuri’. Initially, Na Hoon-ah, who was from Busan, formed a strong rivalry in the music industry in the 1970s with Nam Jin, who was born in Mokpo, Jeollanam-do.
As the ‘original older brother’ of the music industry, he has released over 1,200 songs since his debut. He was loved by generations for his masculine and exciting appearance, the heavy low tone that goes well with it, and the exquisite high tone mixed with a unique ‘break’ sound. Thanks to his popularity as a singer, he appeared as an actor in many works, including the 1971 movie ‘Foot Love’, ‘Mother’s Glory’, ‘Friendship’, and ‘Companion’.
Unlike Nam Jin, who approached the public with a friendly appearance, Na Hoon-ah is evaluated as having maintained mysticism. Other than releasing new songs or performing concerts, he doesn’t appear on entertainment programs, so he has little contact with the public.
The marriage of Na Hoon-ah and Kim Ji-mi, who was considered the best actress of her time, also made an uproar in the world. Na Hoon-ah married an ordinary person in 1973, divorced two years later, and announced her marriage to Kim Ji-mi in 1976. Kim Ji-mi, who was 7 years older than Na Hoon-ah, was married for the third time at the time. After breaking up in 1982, Na Hoon-ah married junior singer Jeong Soo-kyung in 1985, but divorced after 33 years.
After her 40th debut anniversary performance in 2006, Na Hoon-ah suddenly canceled a performance scheduled to be held at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul in 2007, and was plagued by rumors of health problems. The scene in which he, who was plagued by rumors of an affair with an actress, went up to the table at a press conference held in January 2008, unzipped his pants, and raised his voice, saying, “Will you believe me if I take off my pants?” is still talked about to this day. This was an action to directly refute rumors that important body parts were damaged by gangsters.
The driving force behind his singing for over half a century was ‘dreams.’ Na Hoon-ah said at a press conference in 2008, “A singer is a person who sells dreams. To sell a dream, you have to have a dream. But now I have lost my dream. “I don’t know when I will find my dream again,” he said, suggesting a hiatus in activities. The title of the album that made their comeback in 2017, 11 years later, was ‘Dream Again’.
In 2020, he enjoyed great popularity by releasing ‘Teshyung’, a song with unique lyrics that refers to the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates as ‘brother’. That year, when the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) was in full swing, the Tess-type stage in the performance ‘2020 Korea Again Na Hoon-a’, which was broadcast on TV during the Chuseok holiday, attracted national attention. New albums ‘Seven Light Scent’ and ‘Dawn’ were also released in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Na Hoon-ah also received attention from the public with his outspoken remarks. In particular, he frequently mentioned politics, such as revealing in a direct interview that he had declined an offer to enter politics in the past. At the 2022 Busan concert, he revealed that he refused to participate in the 2018 ‘Pyongyang Art Troupe Visit to North Korea Performance’, saying, “North Korea’s State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un is the person who shot his uncle to death with an anti-aircraft gun and killed his half-brother with drugs,” and added, “I cannot say ‘love’ in front of such a person.” “I can’t call you,” he said.
Having lived his entire life as a star in the music industry, he sent a handwritten letter titled ‘Thank you!’ through his agency in February of last year, hinting at his retirement 56 years after his debut. Afterwards, they completed a nationwide tour to Incheon in April, Cheongju and Ulsan in May, Changwon, Cheonan and Wonju in June, Jeonju in July, Gangneung in October, Andong, Jinju and Gwangju in November, and Daegu and Busan in December, and held a concert at KSPO in Seoul on the 12th of this month. The final performance was presented to fans at the dome.
Reporter Sa Ji-won 4g1@donga.com