Published: 25 Dec. 2025, 13:07

Updated: 25 Dec. 2025, 15:26

Pop music critic Kim Young-dae [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Pop music critic Kim Young-dae [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 
Pop music critic Kim Young-dae died on Wednesday at the age of 48.
 
“We regret to inform you of the passing of Kim Young-dae,” read a message posted to Kim’s social media account on Thursday morning. “We ask for your understanding regarding our inability to contact everyone individually.”
 
 
No details about the circumstances surrounding his death were disclosed.
 
Kim graduated from Yonsei University with a degree in business administration and earned a doctorate in ethnomusicology from the University of Washington in the United States. He wrote extensively about the K-pop industry and popular music.
 
He also hosted Korean television broadcasts of major U.S. music award ceremonies, including the Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards and Grammy Awards, and engaged with audiences through other platforms, such as his YouTube channel, “School of Music.”
 
A funeral altar has been set up at Chung-Ang University Hospital’s funeral hall in Seoul. The funeral procession is scheduled for Saturday.

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 KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]