DAEGU, Oct. 19 (Korea Bizwire) –The familiar strains of “Everybody Happy” echoed through a funeral home in Dalseong-gu, Daegu, but this was no ordinary memorial service.
The song, a signature tune of the elderly rap group Suni and the Seven Princesses, was being performed by its own members — all grandmothers who learned to read and write Korean well into their 80s.
At the center of attention was a portrait of Seo Moo-seok, 87, beaming beneath an overturned baseball cap, wearing a loose-fitting T-shirt adorned with a spider-shaped metal accessory. The image captured the essence of Seo’s newfound passion: hip-hop swagger.
Suni and the Seven Princesses is an eight-member hip-hop group formed by eight grandmothers with an average age of 85 from Chilgok, Gyeongsangbuk-do. Grandmother Seo Moo-seok is said to have continued her rap performances without announcing her cancer battle. (Yonhap)
The performance, with “Moo-seok” substituted for “us” in the lyrics, was a tribute to their departed friend and fellow rapper. Dressed in matching black shirts emblazoned with the group’s name, the elderly women moved their hands in classic hip-hop gestures, spitting rhymes with surprising vigor.
The scene evoked memories of the 2011 film “Sunny,” where friends bid farewell to a companion through dance rather than tears.
Seo received a stage 3 lymphoma diagnosis in January, with doctors giving her less than three months to live. The news came just five months after she had joined the rap group in August of last year.
Concerned that revealing her illness might jeopardize the group’s activities, Seo kept her condition secret from everyone except her family. She continued performing until her health rapidly declined following a high-profile appearance at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square on October 4, where the group headlined the opening ceremony of Hangeul Week, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
“You left without even telling us you were sick. Are you happy now?” said Lee Pil-seon, 86, a 25-year friend and group mate of Seo, reading from a handwritten letter at the memorial. “In heaven, don’t be in pain anymore. Just rap as much as you like. We’ll miss you.”
On the afternoon of Oct. 16, the other members of Suni and the Seven Princesses perform their last full performance at the funeral home in Dalseo-gu, Daegu. (Yonhap)
Jeong Woo-jeong, 54, the group’s music teacher, recalled Seo’s dedication to performing despite her illness. After their October 4 show, Seo spontaneously burst into song during the car ride back to Chilgok, surprising her companions with her uncharacteristic exuberance.
“She was usually very composed and had never volunteered to sing alone before,” Jeong said. “Looking back, I think she wanted to give us one last performance.”
Born in Hwanghak Valley, Chilgok County, during the Japanese occupation of Korea, Seo was unable to receive formal education in her youth. She finally learned to read and write Korean in her 70s through an adult literacy program run by Chilgok County.
This newfound skill allowed her to express through poetry the regret of being denied education due to poverty and gender discrimination.
As a member of Suni and the Seven Princesses, Seo appeared on various television programs and served as a member of the Veterans Honor Club for the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
