Didn’t give up on rap despite being diagnosed with cancer… ‘Chilgok Grandma Rapper’ Seo Moo-seok passes away

[아이뉴스24 신수정 기자] Seo Moo-seok (87), a member of the Chilgok Grandma rapper group ‘Suni and Chilgongju’, passed away.

According to Chilgok-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do on the 15th, grandmother Seo, who was diagnosed with stage 3 lymphoma and blood cancer and was fighting the disease, passed away at a hospital in Daegu this morning. It is reported that the funeral will be held at a local funeral home.

Seo Moo-seok (87), a member of the Chilgok Grandma rapper group ‘Suni and Chilgongju’, passed away. The photo is of grandmother Seo Moo-seok. [사진=뉴시스]

While working as a rapper for Suni and Seven Princesses, he felt abnormal symptoms and underwent tests at a university hospital. In January, he was diagnosed with stage 3 lymphoma and blood cancer and was given three months to live.

However, Grandmother Seo did not tell this fact to anyone other than her family. This is because he was concerned that if he revealed his illness, he would not be able to work in Sunni and the Seven Princesses.

Even when her cancer was metastasizing, Grandma Seo practiced at the senior center every Tuesday and Thursday without missing a single day, and even went on stage. He, who has been working as a rapper for 9 months, well beyond the 3 months recommended by the doctor, also performed a joint performance with the world-renowned B-boy group ‘MB Crew’ at the Hangul Week performance held at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on the 4th.

Grandma Seo’s eldest daughter, Jeon Gyeong-sook (65), said, “(My mother) asked me not to let anyone other than the family know that she was suffering from cancer. I couldn’t stop her when I saw her happy while working as a rapper. From my mother’s perspective, she had a heavenly year. “It is,” he said.

Grandmother Seo’s health deteriorated rapidly starting on the 6th, and the cancer spread to her lungs, leaving her in a state of confusion, and she passed away on the 15th, 9 days after being hospitalized.

The news of Grandmother Seo’s passing made many people cry. Kim Jae-wook, mayor of Chilgok County, said, “I will not forget and commemorate Grandma Seo, who ignited passion even while fighting illness and inspired people to say, ‘You can do it even if it’s late.’”

Seo Moo-seok (87), a member of the Chilgok Grandma rapper group ‘Suni and Chilgongju’, passed away. The photo shows Suni and Chilgongju members taking a commemorative photo ahead of the ‘2024 Hangeul Week Opening Ceremony’ held at Gwanghwamun on the 4th. Grandmother Seo Moo-seok is second from the left in the front row. [사진=칠곡군]

Netizens also expressed respect for Grandma Seo, who pursued her dream until the end, and prayed for her soul to rest in peace.

At the request of Grandma Seo and her bereaved family, members of Suni and Chilgongju plan to perform a rap performance in his memory at the funeral on the 16th. Additionally, Grandmother Seo’s granddaughter, who is a funeral director, plans to dress her in a shroud.

Meanwhile, Grandma Seo was selected as an early member of Suni and Chilgongju, a group formed by elderly women who learned Korean at the age of over 60, organized by Chilgok-gun in August of last year. Afterwards, Grandma Seo created seven songs with her colleagues and actively worked in various newspapers, broadcasts, foreign media, and advertisements, as well as a member of the ‘Veterans Honors Club’, a public relations ambassador for the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.

/Reporter Shin Soo-jeong ([email protected])