Kim Min-ki, singer-songwriter and founder of "Hakchon," a symbolic venue representing small theater culture of Seoul's Daehangno, has died at the age of 73.

According to the performance arts community on Monday, Kim succumbed to gastric cancer the previous day after symptoms from the chronic illness had worsened.

Kim is renowned for composing the iconic song "Morning Dew" in 1970, which was later sung during the June pro-democracy uprising in 1987. Despite state censorship of his songs, Kim continued to express himself through his songwriting, including 1977's "Evergreen Tree."

Kim was also active in theater production from 1973 and directing from 1978, before opening "Hakchon," where a slew of star musicians and actors were born.

A remake rock musical "Subway Line One" based on German musical "Linie 1," which is viewed as a monumental work in the country's musical history, debuted in 1994. The musical was performed over eight-thousand times until 2023, attracting more than 700-thousand audience members.

Due to Kim's illness and financial difficulties, "Hakchon" closed down in March this year after putting on 359 works in a duration of 33 years.