Singer Lee Mi-ja, who is celebrating the 66th anniversary of her debut, hinted at her retirement.

On the 5th, Lee Mi-ja held a press conference to commemorate the opening of the ‘Lee Mi-ja Traditional Song Tribute Concert - Connecting the Pulse’ at the Stanford Hotel Seoul in Mapo-gu, Seoul, and introduced the performance herself along with junior singers Joo Hyun-mi and Jo Hang-jo.

On that day, Lee Mi-ja said, “I‘ve done countless performances so far. I don’t like the word ‘retirement’ that is often used in the context of celebrity life. I think it would be reckless to just step down. That‘s why I’ve been refraining from using the word retirement.“

He continued, ”But I thought now was the time when I could definitely tell you that this was my last,“ and explained that this concert would be his retirement concert, saying, ”I feel like ‘this has come true’ because I‘ve carefully selected dependable juniors and a place has been created where I can pass on the tradition of traditional songs.“

He said, ”I cried, laughed, and was comforted by the songs that my mothers and fathers who lived through difficult times went to Vietnam and Germany to send their children to schools. I thought that we should continue traditional songs with songs that represented the times, even for the sake of the mothers and fathers of that time. It was so sad to see those songs disappear, and it was hard. I also remember feeling alienated because they thought they were low-quality songs. That’s why I thought that we shouldn‘t forget the songs I listened to when I was having a hard time, so I always sang at every concert with the thought that ’please sing it like this.‘“ And I was worried that if my lineage is cut off, the song will be cut off,” she said.

She also said, “As long as I can stand on stage, please sing this song like this, and please don’t forget me. However, (due to my age) I almost gave up and was thinking that I could no longer stand on stage when this performance was created. I willingly went on the performance with gratitude. I am preparing hard with the happy thought that I will end up with a performance that can continue our tradition and pass it on.”

Meanwhile, Lee Mi-ja will meet her fans at the ‘Lee Mi-ja Traditional Song Tribute Concert - Connecting the Traditions’ at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Grand Theater in Jongno-gu, Seoul on April 26 and 27. Lee Mi-ja will be on stage with Joo Hyun-mi and Jo Hang-jo in a performance prepared with respect and affection for traditional songs.



Reporter Yoo Ji-hye yjh0304@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.