“After losing his 33-year-old son...” Why Im Jin-mo insists on wearing a bow tie

[Financial News] Music critic Im Jin-mo expressed his grief as he remembered his son, who died at 33 after battling a brain tumor for seven years. He said he still keeps the socks his son wore for the last time and wears them whenever he attends an important event.
In episode 365 of tvN’s variety show You Quiz on the Block (hereafter You Quiz), which aired on the 21st, Im Jin-mo appeared and talked about memories of his son and life after losing him.
Even the bow ties Im Jin-mo often wears hold memories of his son. He has kept wearing them ever since his son said he liked seeing Im Jin-mo in a bow tie.
Im Jin-mo said, “When I put one on, he said, ‘It’s fine. From now on, Dad, always wear a bow tie when you go out.’ So I started wearing bow ties after that. I catch fewer colds, and it protects my throat, too. I always wear one when the seasons change. It makes me feel like I’m with my son.”
As the conversation about his son continued, Yoo Jae-suk hesitated for a moment before carefully asking, “From what I’ve heard, in 2021 your son...”
After clearing his throat, Im Jin-mo replied, “It’s okay.” He went on to say that he had lost his son, adding, “My son passed away before me.”
A few months before his death, his son also took on the role of his father’s manager. Even while he was ill, he reportedly chose bow ties to match Im Jin-mo’s clothes and helped by driving for him.
Im Jin-mo said, “A few months before he died, my son became my manager. From the morning on, he would pick out bow ties to match my clothes. I wonder if he likes this one now. He did all that and drove for me, even though he was sick. I learned a lot from my son. My son became a salesperson at an electronics store. I still remember what the store manager said. ‘Hyeonjun came in and suddenly started looking for a ladder. Then, with all the appliances on display, you know how big refrigerators are. He climbed up the ladder and wiped the top. What a guy. Amazing,’ the manager said. At the time, I thought, ‘Why didn’t I realize this? I have to do this. Let’s work hard.’ That’s why I still work hard. Whenever I give a lecture, I always think my son is sitting there listening.”
His son’s illness began in 2014. At the time, he went to the hospital complaining of headaches, and a CT scan reportedly revealed two large brain tumors.
Im Jin-mo recalled, “I remember it all. One day he said, ‘Dad, my head hurts. I’m going to the hospital.’ Since he’d complained of pain from a young age, I thought it was probably just a common migraine. They even did a CT scan, and there were two large brain tumors. They said he needed treatment quickly. That’s when his battle with the illness began.”
His son continued treatment for seven years.
After battling the illness for seven years, his son died in the summer of 2021 at the age of 33. Im Jin-mo said he still regrets not having traveled to more places with his son while he was ill.
He expressed his grief, saying, “If I’d known this would happen, I would have taken him to see all the beautiful places in our country. I regret that we stayed home all the time for his recovery. I was already dead when my son closed his eyes. I went with him, completely. How could I be in my right mind when the son I brought into the world closed his eyes for the last time right in front of me?”
Using his son’s belongings also holds special meaning for Im Jin-mo. He said he wears the socks his son wore while alive whenever he has an important engagement, and that he wore the same socks for the recording that day.
Im Jin-mo said, “I take the utmost care when washing them, too. At first, I said, ‘I’ll keep wearing them until I’m past 50.’ I think, ‘I wear his socks, underwear and shoes. We’re together.’ These are those socks—the ones my son wore for the last time.”




[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter