[Sportschosun, Reporter Kim Soo-hyun] Voice actress Hee-sun Kang, beloved for voicing Bong Mi-seon, Shin-chan's mother, in the animated series Crayon Shin-chan, has been laid to rest.
At 7:40 a.m. on the 6th, the funeral procession for the late Hee-sun Kang was held at St. Mary's Hospital Funeral Hall. She will be buried at Honerstone in Yongin Park.
The late actress died on the 4th at Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital in Seoul after battling an illness. She was 65.
A graduate of Junggye High School and the Department of Broadcasting and Entertainment at Seoul Institute of the Arts, she had dreamed of becoming an actress. However, after her professor's recommendation, she entered the voice acting field and made her debut in 1979 as part of the 10th class of the TBC voice acting troupe.
She later joined KBS as a 15th-generation voice actress and perfectly delivered her first dubbing role in the animated series Anne of Green Gables. Kang went on to establish herself as one of Korea's leading female voice actresses through work in The Rose of Versailles, Ghost in the Shell, Captain Planet, and many other productions. She also served as president of the KBS voice acting troupe from 2013 to 2016 and as executive vice president of the Korea Voice Performance Association.
From 1996, she provided the voice for subway announcements in Seoul and Busan, recording guidance for Seoul Subway Lines 1 through 8 and Busan Subway Lines 1 through 4, and became known as a national voice actress.
For younger generations, she was remembered for her witty and heartfelt performances as Bong Mi-seon and Mang-gu in Crayon Shin-chan.
However, Kang was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2021. After the cancer had spread, she was told she had two years to live, which deepened public sorrow.
When she appeared on tvN's You Quiz on the Block in 2024, she said, "It has been four years since I discovered the cancer. During a health checkup, a problem was found in my colon. The cancer had spread to my liver. There were about 17 liver metastases. I underwent chemotherapy 47 times. Since I got sick, I have lived every day thinking, 'Today is always my last day.'" Her confession brought even greater sadness.
At the time, she also expressed her deep affection for Crayon Shin-chan, saying, "I am a voice actress, but I truly love my job as a voice actress. I loved Shin-chan's mom so much, and I think that made it possible. I had my own will, and I also had a sense of duty. Shin-chan became my support."
On the 4th, the production team of tvN's You Quiz on the Block also paid tribute, posting, "'I love my job as a voice actress so much.' Our eternal Shin-chan's mom, voice actress Hee-sun Kang. Thanks to you, our childhood was happy and truly fun. Thank you for brightening the world with your beautiful voice. We offer our deepest condolences."
shyun@sportschosun.com
