“When I see the audience living brightly and excitedly despite difficult circumstances, I feel there is so much I can learn from them. Every day is filled with emotion, gratitude, and happiness.”
Famous for hits like ‘Nowadays Women Nowadays Men’ and ‘Dancing Tambourine,’ Hyun Sook is a star who gets incredibly busy every May, the Month of the Family, living up to her nickname as the ‘filial daughter singer.’
With her upbeat hits and warm way of speaking, she receives constant love calls from all over the country. Above all, her life of sharing and giving has made her who she is today.
On Children’s Day (May 5), she performed at the 1st National Disabled People’s Go Tournament. On Parents’ Day (May 8), after performing in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, she headed straight to Buan, Jeonbuk, to perform for the elderly.
In a phone interview with Yonhap News, Hyun Sook shared, “When May comes, I think of my late mother. That’s why I visit marginalized and dark places in our society, such as nursing homes or events for the disabled, focusing on service and filial piety.”
She earned the title of ‘filial daughter singer’ after it became known that she devotedly cared for her mother, who battled a stroke for 14 years. Drawing from that experience, she has continued donating and volunteering for over 20 years, including donating 20 bath vehicles for seniors across the country.
“It’s important to be good to your parents while they are healthy. If you think, ‘I’ll be good to them once I become rich,’ it will be too late,” she reflected, adding, “It still makes me so sad that I don’t have parents to pin a carnation on.”
The National Disabled People’s Go Tournament held in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 5th was a meaningful event for her. She felt it was a great decision to make time for the stage.
“I walked from one end of the audience to the other, hugging or holding hands and taking photos with participants who had various disabilities,” she recalled. “I was deeply moved by how warmly they welcomed me.”
On the same day, she participated in the recording of the KBS 1TV senior talk show ‘Golden Pond.’ She said, “I was so envious seeing the seniors come to the recording with their families. I thought about how I would have brought my mother here if she were still alive.”
Buan, Jeonbuk, where she visits for Parents’ Day, is a special place for her.
Born in nearby Gimje, Hyun Sook wrote and released the song ‘Horizon Saemangeum’ in 2023 and served as the promotional ambassador for the Saemangeum Development Agency in 2024.
“When I perform in my hometown, I leave everything I’ve received there,” she said. “Whether it’s buying briquettes or rice for local seniors or donating bath vehicles. Going home makes me miss my parents even more.”
“When I travel the country, seniors often pull out 10,000 won from their ‘mompbe’ (work pants) and give it to me as pocket money, telling me to buy medicine if I’m sick. They feel sad if I refuse, so I can’t say no. Then I tell them, ‘This 10,000 won is more valuable than 100 million won. I will definitely use it for a good cause.'”
Hyun Sook is currently promoting her new song ‘I Must Be Deeply Into You,’ released in February. The warm lyrics and bright melody have been receiving a great response.
She smiled, saying, “It’s a song that anyone can sing, not just couples, but also between parents and children or grandparents and grandchildren. Even the seniors at my local bathhouse sing along to ‘I Must Be Deeply Into You.'”
She emphasized, “Is there anything much to life? It’s best to live each day brightly and vigorously with good neighbors. Like the lyrics ‘I must be deeply into you,’ I like people who use pretty words. A person’s character is revealed through their speech.”
Hyun Sook also filmed a commercial for ‘Hulla Ramen,’ inspired by the ‘Hulla Hulla Hulla’ lyrics of her representative song ‘Dancing Tambourine.’ This led to a ‘Hulla Ramen’ challenge on short-form platforms like TikTok, showing off charms that rival K-pop idols.
She added, “Since I filmed the commercial, I’m preparing another donation.”
In January, she participated in the songwriting and planning of the song ‘Let’s Live Funnily in 2026’ by junior singer Park Jin-sun. This was a gift to return the favor, as Park Jin-sun and her mother had helped care for Hyun Sook’s mother while she was bedridden.
“Bright news is so rare these days. I wanted to convey the message that ‘love is the best thing in life’ through song,” she introduced, noting that the song is a hit in singing classes.
On June 7, marking the 4th anniversary of the late Song Hae, she will appear in the ‘Song Hae Love Open Concert’ at the Song Hae Art Hall along with actor and singer Kim Seong-hwan. Since her late teens when she came to Seoul as an aspiring singer, she had a close bond with Song Hae, whom she affectionately called ‘Dad.’
“Song Hae Dad was someone who embraced everyone, from children to adults, without discrimination,” she said. “He was like a mentor who patted my back and held my hand, telling me not to lose strength when I was in despair after losing my parents. Now that both my parents and Song Hae Dad are gone, I live my life looking only toward the seniors across the country.”
