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Lim Yoon-taek Loses Battle with Cancer

Ooh La La Session leader Lim Yoon-taek died of stomach cancer on Monday evening.

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Lim had been receiving treatment after being diagnosed with the terminal stage of the cancer in January 2011 and had parts of his stomach removed. The five-member band rose to fame when they won the "Superstar K" reality show, which aired between August and November that year.

Lim revealed during the preliminaries that he was suffering from the disease. He became gaunt as the competition proceeded but managed to go on performing, making him the true winner of the competition in many people's eyes even before the final.

In March last year, Lim visited a high school in Seoul despite his frail condition, where he confessed that he had been a delinquent and warned about school violence.

When his condition briefly improved following the reality show, online rumor-mongers alleged he had been faking to get attention, which caused Lim great distress.

The following month, he suffered more online abuse when his fiancé became pregnant. Lim's management felt compelled to release a note from his doctor about his condition.

In the note, Prof. Ra Seon-young at Yonsei University said, "When Lim first came to me, he was already in the terminal stage of the cancer that makes surgery impossible. As cancer cells began to grow in the abdominal cavity, he has been treated with a new drug since December 2011". His positive attitude and "can-do" spirit appeared to have helped him deal with chemotherapy than other patients in similar condition, she added.

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