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Patty Kim Announces Retirement

Veteran singer Patty Kim who became a Korean pop icon during her glittering 54-year musical career thanks to her powerful voice and graceful stage performances, announced her retirement on Wednesday.

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At a press conference in Seoul, Kim, 74, said, "Starting from June of this year, I will hold a number of farewell performances for one year both in Korea and overseas, and then retire from the stage".

Kim said she has been considering calling it quits for the last decade and gave much thought to how she could wrap up her career gracefully. "I felt like this was the right time", she said.

After she debuted in 1958 with a performance for U.S. troops stationed in Korea, many of Kim's songs became hits.

Starting with a concert in Seoul on June 2, she plans to tour major cities in the country then move on to Los Angeles, New York, Sydney and other cities with huge Korean populations. Each performance will feature over 200 people, including her colleagues in the industry and Korean idol groups.

Kim vowed not to stage any profit-making concerts or comebacks after she retires, but said that she may feature in charity events. "If I really want to sing, I'll do it in front of the mirror", she said.

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