‘Little Psy’ dies of brain tumor

February 11, 2016
Jun Min-woo, left, from "Star King" on SBS in 2011 (Courtesy of SBS)

Jun Min-woo, left, from “Star King” on SBS in 2011 (Courtesy of SBS)

Jun, right, and Psy ( Yonhap)

Jun, right, and Psy ( Yonhap)

By The Korea Times Seoul staff

Korean Chinese star child Jun Min-woo, known for his tribute performances of K-pop singer Psy’s global hit “Gangnam Style,” died of brain cancer during the Lunar New Year holiday at age 12.

Jun began having breathing problems on Monday and was taken to a hospital in Yanbian, where he died the next day. The cause of death was brainstem glioma, a cancerous tumor in the brain stem, according to various media reports.

Jun, born in Yanji, Jilin Province, had visited Korea in 2014 in the hope of finding treatment.

SBS’s TV documentary “Curious Story Y” the same year told of his struggle with the illness and his passion for the global dance music star.

Jun’s musical talent surfaced when he performed “Gangnam Style” on several Chinese TV talent shows and Korean network SBS’s “Star King” in 2011, earning him the nickname “Little Psy.”