Legendary Singer Lee Aerisu Dies at 99
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Singer Lee Aerisu, who sang the 81-year-old song ``Hwangsung Yetteo,'' or ``Hwangsung Ruins,'' died of old age Tuesday. She was 99.
Born Lee Eum-jeon in Gaeseong, North Korea, she joined a theatrical group and started acting and singing at the age of nine.
Hwangsung Ruins was the nation's first pop song, composed and written by Wang Pyeong and Jeon Su-rin. The song expresses the sorrow of the Korean public under Japanese colonial rule. It made its debut in 1928 sung by the 18-year-old Lee, and was adored by the public for its lyrics and melody. With the success of the song, Lee became one of the first female stars among the Korean public.
Expressing the sadness of being invaded by another country, the song touched the hearts of many, and sold 50,000 copies in 1932 despite being banned by the Japanese colonial government.
Lee, however, got married when she was 22 and has been absent from the spotlight ever since, leading many to believe she had already died. It was revealed last year that she was living in a nursing home in Ilsan being
Apr 1, 2009