Composer Shin Young-kyo Cleans Tombstone of Wife Lost 22 Years Ago

Composer Shin Young-kyo, 89, laid his wife, who passed away 22 years ago, to rest in his front yard. Every morning, he heads to a spot bathed in sunlight, pauses before his wife's grave, speaks to her tenderly, and cleans her tombstone. His daily routine, starting with "Honey, I'm just stepping out for a bit. No worries there, right?" is deeply moving.

Although his wife's dying wish was "Forget me and find someone good," Shin Young-kyo, who had always followed his wife's every word, could not keep that one instruction. This is because it was his wife who, with utmost devotion, saved him after he was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer 43 years ago. His wife passed away 22 years ago, and Shin Young-kyo buried her in his yard. Having gone to the brink of death from stomach cancer, what he has faced is a life of being left alone after watching his loved ones depart one by one, living over 40 years longer than doctors predicted.

In October of last year, Shin Young-kyo held a "living funeral" to organize his affairs and say goodbye to family and friends. When met at his home in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, on the 23rd of last month, he was enjoying life while preparing for a "death he welcomes" rather than "a death that happens to him." His secret to health is his mindset, enjoying food and life despite having 99% of his stomach removed due to stomach cancer.

In 1983, at the age of 46, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer due to heavy drinking. At the time, doctors gave him a one-year prognosis. Unable to leave behind his youngest daughter, Shin Ae-ra, who was 14, he underwent major surgery to remove 99% of his stomach. Post-surgery, chemotherapy was accompanied by vomiting and loss of appetite. It was then his wife asked the attending physician, "If this were your family, Doctor, what choice would you make?" Upon hearing the doctor's response, "If it were my family, I would stop chemotherapy," she decided to discontinue his treatment.

His wife immersed herself in books about cancer, studying survival methods and adopting diets and lifestyle habits suited for Shin Young-kyo. Even with only 1% of his stomach remaining, she meticulously prepared and served him 7-8 small meals a day. Thanks to his wife's devotion, he lived an additional 43 years. Now 90 years old, he maintains the habit developed then, eating small meals frequently, four times a day.