Music critic Im Jin-mo recalls son who died after brain tumor battle

Appearing on the tvN show "You Quiz on the Block" on the 21st, music critic Im Jin-mo shared how he honors the memory of his son, Hyeon-jun, who passed away in the summer of 2021 at age 33 following a seven-year struggle with brain tumors.

Music critic Im Jin-mo has shared his deep longing for his son, who passed away at the age of 33 after a seven-year battle with a brain tumor. Even after his son's passing, Im continues to live with his memory by wearing the bow ties his son chose for him and cherishing the last pair of socks his son ever wore. Confessing that he himself collapsed following his son's death, his story conveys the heavy weight of losing a child for parents.

Appearing on the 365th episode of the tvN variety show "You Quiz on the Block" aired on the 21st, Im revealed memories involving his son. There was a special story behind the bow tie style he maintains. "I would just do it, and he would say, 'It's fine. Dad, you should definitely wear a bow tie from now on,'" Im said, explaining that he began enjoying bow ties following his son's words.

He does not view the bow tie as a mere fashion accessory. While it serves to protect his neck during seasonal changes, above all, it carries the sentiment of being with his son. "Thanks to this, I catch fewer colds and it protects my neck," Im said. "I always wear this when the seasons change. I think about being with my son." The short words spoken by his son remain a part of the father's daily life even after his passing.

When the topic of his son arose, MC Yoo Jae-suk cautiously mentioned the events of 2021. After clearing his throat, Im calmly stated, "It's okay," before adding, "My son left me first." He then recalled how, a few months before his son passed away, the young man acted as a manager for him. Despite already battling illness at the time, the son would select a bow tie to match his father's outfit in the morning and even drove him around.

Im also shared an anecdote regarding his son's work life. His son, Hyeon-jun, worked as a salesperson at an electronics store, and Im said he has never forgotten a story told to him by the store manager. According to the manager, Hyeon-jun would personally find a ladder to climb up to wipe the tops of refrigerators in the store, an act of diligence that the manager greatly admired.

Hearing these stories about his son allowed Im to discover a side of him he had not fully realized. Reflecting on that time, he said, "Why didn't I know this? I must do this too. I must work hard." The diligence his son showed at his workplace became an opportunity for the father to reflect on his own attitude toward life. Im said that even now, when giving lectures, he does his best thinking that his son is listening from somewhere.

The son's illness began in 2014. Im vividly remembers the moment his son said, "Dad, my head hurts, so I'll go to the hospital and come back." Since the son had often complained of being unwell since childhood, Im initially thought it was just a common migraine. However, CT scans revealed two large brain tumors, and he was immediately diagnosed as needing treatment. The struggle that followed lasted for seven years.

However, the son passed away in the summer of 2021 at the young age of 33. Im did not hide the regrets remaining after sending his son away. "If I had known it would be like this, I would have taken him to beautiful places in our country to see everything," he said, expressing regret over the time spent staying at home for recuperation. The time chosen in the hope that his son's health would improve remained as a different kind of memory following the irreversible parting.

Im described the pain of that time by saying, "When my son closed his eyes, I died already. I went away entirely with him." He expressed the devastating feelings of a parent who has sent a child away first, asking, "Would I be normal when the son I gave birth to closes his eyes for the last time in front of me?" For a father who watched the long illness by his side, the death was not merely losing a family member, but an experience where a part of his own life vanished as well.

The socks Im was wearing that day were also precious items used to remember his son. He revealed that whenever he goes to important occasions, he wears the last pair of socks his son wore. "I do my best to wash them. I even said I would wear them until I am over 50," he said, conveying his heart through the socks, underwear, and shoes. He left a deep impression by explaining, "These are the socks. The last ones my son wore."

From the bow ties and socks to the mindset with which he prepares for lectures, traces of his late son remain throughout Im's daily life. Amidst the pain of loss that does not fade with time, he uses the diligence and warmth his son showed as a standard for his life. While the longing for his departed son remains an ongoing reality, the memories his son left behind serve as the strength that allows the father to continue his work today.

Read the original (Korean)