Veteran singer Yim Jae-beum is set to close the curtains on his career, spanning four decades.

Yim announced the decision in a video titled “[Regarding retirement] Hello. This is Yim Jae-beum” posted on his YouTube channel on Sunday.


“Walking away, at my own will, from my most beautiful days is the last bit of pride I have left,” he says. He plans to step off the stage following the May encore performances of his ongoing nationwide tour.

Yim kicked off his 40th debut anniversary tour in late 2025 in Daegu and Incheon. The tour continued through Seoul and Busan, as well as Suwon and Goyang in Gyeonggi. The last date of the ongoing tour is Feb. 28 and will be held in Gwangju.

"I agonized over this decision for a long time," the singer said on a JTBC news program on Sunday. “As the saying goes, you should leave while people are still applauding. I decided that now is the best time to put the microphone down.”

“Music has been my destined calling, an old friend that saved me,” Yim said. “In difficult times and painful moments, music was always there.”

“Even after I leave, I will still be breathing in this world alongside you,” he said, addressing his fans. “I hope to be remembered as someone who was a decent singer in Korea’s music scene.”

Yim debuted in 1986 as the vocalist of Sinawe, a rock band led by his high school classmate Shin Dae-chul. He later pursued a solo career, and released multiple hit songs including “After This Night Passes” (1991), “Confession” (1998) and “For You” (2000).

Yim is currently featuring on JTBC’s music competition program “Sing Again 4” (2025) as a judge. The show is set to air its final episode on Tuesday.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHOI HYE-RI [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]