“Mom, Don’t Go” — A Heartbreaking Plea For The Late Kim Soo-mi, A Cherished Matriarch
Kim Soo-mi, known for her sharp critiques and warm gestures, passed away on October 25 at the age of 75. Friends, colleagues, and junior artists gathered on October 27 at Hanyang University Hospital to bid her farewell. In her lifetime, Kim Soo-mi expressed a wish that her funeral would be filled with laughter and dancing, but her numerous daughters and sons could not send her off with smiles. The heartfelt cry of her daughter-in-law, Seo Hyo-rim, saying “Mom, don’t go,” echoed painfully.
Born in 1949, Kim Soo-mi began her career as an MBC talent in 1970. While her beauty resembled that of Natalie Wood, she gained recognition not as a leading lady, but through supporting roles that showcased unique characters rather than the innocent archetypes of the time, particularly in the legendary drama “Country Diaries” (1980-2002), where she portrayed “Il-yong Eomni” at just 31 years old.
Kim Soo-mi also excelled in comedy, playing the vibrant character Isabel in “Hello Franceska” (2005). Her sharp dialect and humor in hits like “Mapado” (2005) made her beloved as the ‘grandma with a sharp tongue.’
However, there was a different side to her as well. In a personal moment during a hospital visit, she humorously expressed her stress, saying, “People ask me to curse at them,” while welcoming my flowers and sharing her preference for wildflowers. At her funeral, comments about her generosity with food highlighted her nurturing spirit. Kim Soo-mi embodied the essence of “Mom”, as shown in her long-running musical “My Mother.”
As her children in the entertainment world, including her daughter-in-law Seo Hyo-rim, swallowed their tears while calling out for a mother they couldn’t bear to part with, another son, Tak Jae-hoon, who couldn’t attend due to scheduling conflicts, shared a photo of her in a field of yellow rapeseed flowers, reminding us of her love for them and making the moment even more poignant.
May she rest in peace.
Source: Daum
