'First-generation popular music critic' Kang Heon passes away at 64

Music critic activities by Kim Hyun-sik, Shin Hae-chul, etc.Funeral on the 23rdPopular music critic Kang Heon passed away on the 20th. / Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Newsis[THE FACT|Reporter Choi Soo-bin] Kang Heon, a popular music critic and chairman of the Korea Arts&Culture Education Service, has passed away.An official from the Korea Arts&Culture Education Service told on the 21st, "Chairman Kang Heon passed away on the 20th." He was 64 years old. The specific cause of death is unknown.Born in Busan in 1962, the deceased graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in Korean Language and Literature and studied music theory at the same university's graduate school of music. He then worked in various fields, including music criticism, film production, performance planning, and cultural administration.The deceased began his career as a popular music critic in the early 1990s with his critique of singer Kim Hyun-sik. He went on to analyze the works of various musicians, including Seo TaiJi and Shin Hae-chul, shedding light on popular music from a socio-historical perspective.He had a particularly deep connection with the late Shin Hae-chul, and in 2018, he published the book 'Shin Hae-chul: In Memory of 申海澈 1968-2014', which revisited Shin Hae-chul's musical world and life. He also continued his writing activities by publishing books such as 'Moments of Subversion and Reversal' and 'Myeongri: Reading Destiny'.He was also active in the fields of film and performance. He worked with the independent film production group 'Jangsan Gotmae' and participated in the production of films such as 'Oh! Land of Dreams' and 'Eve of the Strike'. He later wrote screenplays for 'When Adam Wakes Up' and 'Jungle Story', and also participated in the production of performances and musical plays.He also devoted himself to nurturing future generations by teaching popular music history at universities such as Hongik University, Sungkonghoe University, Dankook University, and Sungkyunkwan University. In the field of cultural administration, he served as the CEO of Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation and the 5th chairman of the Korea Association of Provincial Cultural Foundations, and was appointed chairman of the Korea Arts&Culture Education Service in December last year.The wake is being held at Room 2, Funeral Hall, St. Mary's Hospital, Seoul. The funeral procession will be held at 7 AM on the 23rd.[Entertainment Desk | ssent@tf.co.kr]subin7134@tf.co.kr