Veteran Korean singer Ok Hee, 73, is reportedly in critical condition.
According to Ilgan Sports on the 19th, Ok Hee was diagnosed with kidney cancer in February 2025 and has been battling the disease for two years, with her health reportedly deteriorating rapidly recently. The legendary singer is currently hospitalized at a medical foundation in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, and her husband, former boxer Hong Soo-hwan, is diligently by her side.
Ok Hee appeared on MBC’s ‘Good Day’ in January and bravely confessed that her kidney cancer had metastasized, but she was actively overcoming it. However, her condition took a sharp turn for the worse about a month ago.
Born in 1953, Ok Hee, now 73, gained significant popularity in 1974 while active with the girl group Seoul Sisters in the U.S. She made her debut in the Korean music industry with the hit song ‘I Don’t Know’ and went on to release other beloved tracks such as ‘Speak with Your Eyes’ and ‘Next-Door Neighbor’.
Ok Hee married Hong Soo-hwan in 1977 but divorced a year later. After 16 years apart, the couple reunited in 1995. They have one daughter and one son.
