Korean-American Comedian Johnny Yune Dies

Johnny Yune

Korean-American comedian Johnny Yune died in Los Angeles on Sunday at the age of 84.

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Yune had been in a sanatorium near the city after a stroke and was admitted to a hospital last week due to a drop in blood pressure.

"He got worse while I was staying in Korea", his ex-wife Julia Lee, who had been taking care of him, told the Chosun Ilbo. "My son made a video call, so I was able to say goodbye. He passed away peacefully".

Yune made his debut in Korea in 1959 and moved to the U.S. to attend university on a Navy scholarship in 1962. After graduation he worked as a singer, actor and stand-up comedian. He rose to stardom on NBC's "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson in 1977 and appeared on the show over 30 times until the 1980s. He also starred in his own special on the network.

He returned to Korea in 1989 and hosted the first American-style talk show, which later became common in the country. He suffered a stroke in 2016 and had since been treated in the U.S.

His body will be donated to the University of California, Irvine Medical Center, according his wishes.