Trot singer Hyeoncheol has passed away at the age of 82.

Hyeoncheol departed from this world due to chronic illness on the night of the 15th at a hospital in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. His memorial will be set up at Asan Medical Center in Seoul this afternoon.

Years ago, he underwent surgery due to a cervical disc injury. His health sharply deteriorated afterward, leading to a prolonged battle with illness.

Debuting in the music industry in 1969 with "Heartless You," Hyeoncheol formed the group "Hyeoncheol and the Bees" in 1970 in Busan. Ten years later, he disbanded the group and transitioned to a solo career.

In 1980, he gained widespread popularity with "Thinking of You All the Time." Subsequently, he produced numerous hit songs such as "Love is Like a Butterfly" and "Bongseonhwa Love Story."

Notably, Hyeoncheol received the KBS Music Award in 1989 for "Bongseonhwa Love Story." The following year, he won the award again for "I Hate It," enjoying his peak years.

He ceased his singing career due to health reasons after appearing on KBS-1TV's "Gayo Stage" in 2018. His last broadcast appearance was on KBS-2TV's "Immortal Songs" in 2020 as a legend singer.

<Photo source=KBS>