Turtleman's Memorial Photo Sparks Fan Grief

The JTBC entertainment show 'Hidden Singer 8,' which aired on the 19th, featured the late Turtleman, leader of the co-ed group Turtleneck, as the original singer. On this episode, comedian Moon Se-yoon and trot singer Park Hyun-bin appeared as Turtleman impressionists and competed.

Geumbi, a member of Turtleneck, spoke about the song 'Sing Lalla,' the title track of their fifth album, which was featured in the fourth round. She expressed that it was a song that left many regrets because Turtleman passed away after the album's promotions. 'Sing Lalla' was produced with a beat of 127 BPM, similar to a human heartbeat, offering a glimpse into Turtleman's meticulous working style. Turtleman, who was regarded as a genius composer, died of a myocardial infarction at the age of 38 in 2008. Geumbi confessed that she did not sing Turtleneck songs for a while after Turtleman's death, and she had never sung 'Sing Lalla' since then.

After Turtleman's passing, member Jiyi talked about several coincidences. She revealed that Turtleneck, who usually wore colorful clothes, wore monochromatic suits at the time of Turtleman's death, and this photo became his memorial portrait. She also found it remarkable that the title of their fifth album, '​Obang Ganda,' matched the name of the village in Anseong where Turtleman's memorial is located, Obang Village. Jiyi added that although the title was chosen to mean 'excited,' Turtleman ultimately found his rest in Obang Village.

Geumbi touched the hearts of viewers by recalling Turtleman's last moments. She shared that after his final schedule, Turtleman, unusually, waved until the car was out of sight, saying he would work on a radio jingle alone. Geumbi clearly remembered telling her older sister at the time, "This is really strange. Why is he waving?" and speculated that perhaps he was trying to say a final goodbye.

Furthermore, the members of Turtleneck revealed a behind-the-scenes story: after undergoing emergency surgery for a myocardial infarction, Turtleman came up with the melody for 'Airplane' while in the hospital and recorded it on his phone. He then suggested naming the song 'Airplane' for a Guam event after his full recovery. This song marked their first win on a music show, and the music video was also filmed in Guam.