Comedian Kim Mi-hwa. [Newsis]
Comedian Kim Mi-hwa. [Newsis]

Comedian Kim Mi-hwa, 62, has lost her mother.

Kim's mother, Kim Young-ja, died in the early hours of Friday, according to sources in the entertainment industry.

Kim Mi-hwa announced the death in a statement, saying her mother "ended her picnic on this earth at 1:53 a.m. on Oct. 23, 2026." She asked the public to "pray that she may shake off all the pain and loneliness she endured and find her way to a better place."

The funeral will be held as a private family service with no outside visitors. Kim said she would not accept condolence visits, monetary gifts or floral tributes, and asked that the ceremony be kept quiet.

Kim Mi-hwa made her debut in 1984 as a comedian recruited through KBS's open audition and has since been one of the defining figures of Korean comedy. She gained wide popularity in 1988 on the KBS 2TV variety program "Show Video Jockey" through a popular sketch called "Sseurirang Couple" alongside Kim Han-guk, and went on to appear in numerous programs including the comedy shows "Humor 1 Beonji" and "Useumyeo Sapsida," the variety show "Kkureogi Daehaengjin," "Gag Concert" and the reality show "Cheheo Salm-ui Hyeonjang."


betterj@heraldcorp.com