Kim Cuc: the voice associated with the day of reunification, the threshold of 81 years old enjoying a peaceful life

Meritorious Artist Kim Cuc, the legendary voice of VOV, was born in 1944 in Nam Dinh. From "Reading stories late at night" to the historical news on April 30, 1975, she has left a deep impression on the memories of many generations of Vietnamese people with her soulful voice.

Phan Thi Kim Cuc, a woman with a warm and emotional voice that has become an indispensable part of the memories of many generations of Vietnamese people, was born in 1944 in the land rich in cultural traditions of Nam Dinh. Her life and career are closely linked to the development of the Voice of Vietnam (VOV), where her special voice has resounded through the radio waves, touching the hearts of listeners with sincerity and emotion.

Born and raised in the difficult years of the country, Kim Cuc soon revealed a special love for literature and art. After graduating from high school, with her natural voice and burning passion, she joined the Voice of Vietnam in 1969. This was perhaps the most important milestone in her life, opening a new chapter full of meaning and dedication.

In her early days at VOV, she constantly learned and improved her pronunciation and expression skills to be able to convey information in the most accurate and engaging way. With her constant efforts, Kim Cuc's reading voice has become more and more special, with an unmistakable color: warm, gentle but still full of inner strength.

One of the programs associated with the name of Meritorious Artist Kim Cuc and deeply imprinted in the minds of listeners is "Reading stories at night". Starting from the 1970s, her voice has become a close friend of millions of Vietnamese people every night. The touching stories and valuable literary works through her voice seem to have a new vitality, touching the hearts of listeners, bringing them into the world of literature and dreams.

The program "Late Night Reading" is not simply about reading books, but through the voice of Meritorious Artist Kim Cuc, it has become an indispensable spiritual food, soothing the fatigue after a long day, nurturing the soul and love of literature in the community. The dedication and emotions she conveys in each word have turned "Late Night Reading" into a beautiful part of the memories of many generations.

A shining milestone in the career of Meritorious Artist Kim Cuc, perhaps a moment that the entire Vietnamese people will never forget: noon on April 30, 1975. She was honored to be the first person to read a special news bulletin on Voice of Vietnam, announcing the historic victory of the Ho Chi Minh campaign, completely liberating the South and unifying the country.

At 11:30 a.m. on April 30, 1975, the flag of the Liberation Army flew on the roof of the Independence Palace, marking the complete collapse of the US and puppet regimes, and the complete victory of the Ho Chi Minh campaign.

At 11:45 a.m. on April 30, 1975, the victory news was sent to Voice of Vietnam, announcing that our army had overthrown the gate of the puppet army and government's headquarters, completely liberating the city.

"Please listen to the news of victory we just received. At exactly 11:30, our army entered Saigon and captured the Independence Palace. The puppet General Staff - General Duong Van Minh surrendered unconditionally. The red flag with yellow star fluttered on the roof of the Independence Palace. The Ho Chi Minh Campaign was a complete victory."

The female artist said that on that day, she and Ms. Kim Tuy, a Southern announcer, were on duty at the station. The shift usually consisted of one man and one woman or two women from both regions, in charge of reading the news between pre-recorded programs. When there was news of victory or a B52 plane bein.g sho.t down, they had to read it live, immediately conveying their emotions to the listeners.

While preparing the noon news, having just finished recording a tape, Mr. Tran Trong Truy - the news receiver and editor - hurriedly rode his bike over, shouting: "Victory! Saigon has been liberated".

Then he shoved the news into Kim Cuc and Kim Tuy's hands and urged: "You two go read it right away". Kim Cuc and Kim Tuy hugged each other, bursting with joy. Both of them quickly ran down to the basement, where the live broadcast system was located, reminding each other to stay calm so that their voices could be read clearly and solemnly.

The news was only one minute long, broadcast at 11:45, 15 minutes after the Liberation Army flag was raised over the Independence Palace. Although short, the news carried historical weight, crystallizing the nation's desire for independence after many years of fightin.g.

"This is the Voice of Vietnam broadcasting from Hanoi..." - those familiar words, at this important historical moment, were read by the solemn and emotional voice of Meritorious Artist Kim Cuc. The news was short but contained the overwhelming joy, pride and desire for peace of the entire nation. Her voice at that moment became a symbol of victory and peace, engraved deeply in the history of the country.

During her time working at VOV, Meritorious Artist Kim Cuc has constantly strived to learn and improve her professional qualifications. She graduated from a part-time university and is fluent in many foreign languages such as English, French, and Chinese. This has helped her access many different sources of information and cultures, enriching her knowledge and professional skills.

After retiring, Meritorious Artist Kim Cuc continued to be associated with VOV by collaborating in many programs and teaching MC training classes at the Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema. She passed on valuable experiences, passion and dedication to the profession to the younger generation, contributing to training talented broadcasters for the future.

After retiring, artist Kim Cuc continued to collaborate with the program and teach MC training classes at the University of Theater and Cinema, instructing a variety of students from announcers, prison officers, to monks. Many people applying to radio and television stations also came to her to learn.

In 2013, Meritorious Artist Kim Cuc stopped collaborating with Doc Truyen Dem Khong to take care of her husband who had a stroke. In recent years, due to her declining health, she has rarely appeared in public. The artist is currently living peacefully with her family in the Voice of Vietnam apartment complex in Dai La, Hanoi.

Recently, Editor Phuong Trinh visited artist Kim Cuc at her home. Although she is 81 years old and her hair is as white as silk, the artist is still clear-headed and lucid. In particular, after 50 years of reading the news of the nation's heroic victory, she still remembers every sentence and every word in the news that day. Her reading voice is still as resounding, heroic, and proud as before.

In 2025, when listening to Meritorious Artist Kim Cuc reenact the news of April 30, 1975, many people still cannot help but be moved, especially when the whole country is looking forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025).

"Hearing her voice, I suddenly feel so excited and proud. I'm eagerly waiting for April 30th", "Her voice is still as hearty as it was 50 years ago", "So proud, listening to her read makes me love my country even more", "Ms. Kim Cuc's hair has turned gray to prove that the victory has been 50 years"..., netizens commented.

The Tunnels is causing a stir but still losing mone.y, fans complain that they still don't understand after watching the whole movie, is it about to disappear? Dan Ny16:33:07 15/04/2025The Tunnels is a film that has created a strong buzz since its announcement, and has been nurtured by Director Bui Thac Chuyen for 11 years. Although the project has been widely received and earned huge revenue, the film is still at risk of facing heavy capital losses.