S Korean 'beats' karaoke record

A South Korean woman has set an unofficial world karaoke record after singing nearly 1,000 songs in just under 60 hours, reports say.

Kim Seok-ok dropped to the floor after her marathon effort, which she said she undertook to cheer up her sick husband.

Ms Kim picked up the microphone at a karaoke bar on Monday and continued until Valentine's Day evening.

She beat, by 36 minutes, the record set by a German man last year, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

Ms Kim sang for 59 hours and 48 minutes, with a break of just a few minutes every hour, witnesses at the bar in Seoul said.

She did not even sit down, even though the rules say she can.

The 52-year-old said she did it for her 45-year-old husband who is fighting a brain tumour.

"Life may be painful, but face the challenge," she said. "I want people to live with hope like me.

"I wanted to send the message, for those who are living with patients in the family, that if you live cheerfully without being discouraged, it will give them immense strength."