Koo Chang-mo reminisces about late Lee Sun-kyun through 'A Faraway Place'

As it nears three years since the passing of actor Lee Sun-kyun, the song 'A Faraway Place,' which he sang during his lifetime, has reappeared before the public. A single song released in the 1980s traveled from the voice of Koo Chang-mo to Lee Seung-jae and finally reached Lee Sun-kyun, now remaining as another medium to remember the deceased.

On the MBN 'Dongchimi' broadcast on the 19th, Koo Chang-mo and Kim Bum-ryong appeared. While reflecting on his signature songs, Koo mentioned 'A Faraway Place' as one of his top five, and the broadcast featured scenes and the voice of Lee Sun-kyun singing the song during his lifetime.

Koo personally mentioned the story of how this song became known again through actor Lee Sun-kyun. He explained that Lee, who played the role of Park Dong-hun in the 2018 tvN drama 'My Mister,' brought attention back to the song by singing 'A Faraway Place' in the drama, allowing it to establish itself as a beloved song across generations.

The history of 'A Faraway Place' is longer than one might think. The song was composed by Koo Chang-mo, with lyrics by Lee Eung-su, and was released by singer Lee Seung-jae in the 1980s. After a long period of time, it was called upon again through a drama—a completely different genre—and this time, rather than the original singer or composer, the actor's voice created a new memory of the song.

In particular, the way this song was used in 'My Mister' held significance beyond being a mere insert song. Park Dong-hun, portrayed by Lee, was a character who silently endured the weight of family, work, and human relationships. Lee previously revealed at a Songgolmae concert that 'A Faraway Place' was explicitly specified in the drama script, and believing the lyrics and atmosphere resembled Park Dong-hun, he sang it while imagining how the character would sing it.

As a result, the song gained new life. While it was a song that summoned memories of the 1980s for one generation, it was imprinted on another generation as a song intertwined with the loneliness of the character Park Dong-hun. It serves as a classic example of a 'rediscovery,' where an old pop song is delivered to new listeners through the narrative device of a drama.

An even more meaningful detail is the fact that Lee actually stood on the same stage as Koo later on. At the Songgolmae concert 'Flight After 40 Years' held in 2023, Lee sang 'A Faraway Place' himself, and Koo publicly expressed his admiration upon hearing his voice. For Lee, it was a moment of meeting the original creator of the music he loved on an actual stage, going beyond a scene in a drama.

At the time, Lee stated that he had listened to Songgolmae's music since childhood and mentioned that his older sister was an ardent fan of the group. The song, which was coincidentally connected through the drama, led to a real-life bond between a musician and an actor.

In this broadcast, Kim Yong-man's surprise at learning that the composer of 'A Faraway Place' is Koo also demonstrates the vitality of this song. While the song is familiar, people often do not know who created it, and over many years, new memories are layered over the original context of the song through various singers and actors.

Koo also revealed his connection with Lee Seung-jae. He explained that during his activities with Songgolmae, Lee Seung-jae visited him personally to request a song, and some of the songs Koo played for him led to actual album releases. The two are also second cousins, and Lee Seung-jae is a member of Add4, an early Korean rock group.

In this way, 'A Faraway Place' did not remain merely one person's hit song. Lee Seung-jae first introduced the song created by Koo to the public, decades later Lee Sun-kyun sang it again with the emotions of a drama character, and subsequently, the original creator and the actor met on an actual stage. A single song has accumulated different memories while traversing eras, genres, and generations.

Above all, the scene in this broadcast where Lee's voice reappeared makes one think about the traces that time leaves on music. Even after a person leaves, their voice remains as a record, and the songs that voice sang gain another meaning within the memories of a new generation. Lee's 'A Faraway Place' has now become a song that remembers Park Dong-hun from 'My Mister' while simultaneously serving as a voice that brings Lee Sun-kyun to mind.

In fact, Songgolmae also mentioned 'A Faraway Place' during a 2024 concert in memory of Lee Sun-kyun. Bae Cheol-soo and Koo reminisced about him, recalling the connection they shared with Lee during his lifetime, and the song once again stood at the center of a stage remembering the deceased.

Lee Sun-kyun passed away on December 27, 2023, at the age of 48. While the time since his passing continues to grow, the works and voice he left behind remain ever-present. Koo's revisiting of 'A Faraway Place' is therefore not merely a replay of an old song, but a musical moment that calls back the memories left by an actor through his own voice.