The first-generation fashion model Lee Hee-jae, who flourished in the 1970s and 1990s, passed away after battling bile duct cancer. He was 73 years old.

According to his family, the late Lee Hee-jae passed away from bile duct cancer at 8:06 p.m. on the 9th. He was diagnosed with cancer in January 2022 and underwent surgery, but it recurred in 2023, leading to a continued battle with the illness. It is reported that he often said during his life, 'I would still become a model if I were reborn.'

Born in Seoul, he graduated from Jeongang Girls' High School and the Department of Clothing and Textiles at Konkuk University, making a glamorous debut by winning first place at the 'Cotton Princess' selection contest in 1971. He won third place at the international model contest in Los Angeles, USA, in 1979 and was a key figure in popularizing the profession of 'model' along with Rubina and Kim Dong-soo.

In 1983, he founded the Model Line Academy and worked hard to foster the next generation. From 1990 to 2002, he served as the director of the Charming School 'WHY NOT.' He also worked as a host on MBC Radio's 'Now is the Era of Home,' 'Live Morning,' and 'Beautiful Women,' and his book 'Beautiful Women: Lee Hee-jae Charming School,' published in 1993, became a bestseller, sparking the 'Lee Hee-jae Diet' craze.

He was also very active in academia. In 1996, he served as the head professor of the makeup design course at Dongduk Women's University, and in 1998, he was a professor in the model department at Pyeongtaek University. Starting in 2002, he opened a new chapter in his life as a painter, holding his first solo exhibition in 2010 and hosting an exhibition in Beijing, China, in 2015.

Voices mourning the late model continue. Model Park Young-sun posted on her SNS on the 10th, 'The senior model Lee Hee-jae has gone to heaven. The first time I saw him in 1987 is still vivid. He was a warm senior who cherished me as a child. I hope he shines and works beautifully in heaven as well.'

He never married during his life. His surviving family members include his older sister Lee Soon-jae, younger siblings Lee Bok-jae and Lee Eun-sook, brother-in-law Kim Nak-hyun, and brother-in-law Lim San, a vocalist.

The funeral was set up in Room 6 of the Seoul National University Hospital Funeral Hall. The burial will take place at 8 a.m. on the 12th.

[Photo] Park Young-sun SNS

[OSEN]