Singer, actress Yoo Chae-young dies of cancer at 41

By Ko Dong-hwan

(Yonhap)

Pop star, actress and radio host Yoo Chae-yeong died of stomach cancer Thursday at age 41, her entertainment agency said.

Yoo, whose real name is Kim Soo-jin, died around 8 a.m. at the Yonsei University Severance Hospital in Seoul, after losing her battle with cancer. She was diagnosed with the illness in October.

A staffer at the agency, called 150 entertainment, said Yoo’s husband Kim Joo-hwan and other family members, together with actresses Kim Hyun-joo, Song Eun-ie and Park Mi-sun, were at her bedside at the time of her death.

“Yoo’s husband and family members were with her until the end. Regrettably, Yoo did not leave a will,” the agency said in a statement. “She died after combating stomach cancer, but we will long remember the bright and happy person who brought us a lot of joy while she was alive.”

Yoo did not make a public appearance after performing at the “Revival 1990′s Night Concert” in Seoul last September. Yoo’s family kept her illness private until Monday.

Yoo debuted as a singer in 1994 with the popular dance music team COOL, making an impression with her dance moves and shaved head. She left COOL and endured unsuccessful stints with a number of bands before making her debut as a solo singer in 1999. However, she did not release an album after “Another Decade” in 2009.

Yoo also found a niche as a comedy actress, appearing in movies such as “Who Slept With Her” (2006), “Sex Is Zero 2″ (2007) and television dramas like “Fashion King” (2012) and “The Fugitive” (2013). Her quick wit and self-depreciating humor made her a popular radio host.