Korean Screen Icon Lee Soon-jae Dies at 91, Marking the End of a Seven-Decade Acting Career

Actor Lee Soon-jae has died at the age of 91.

Family representatives confirmed that Lee Soon-jae passed away early on the 25th, adding that funeral arrangements are currently underway.

Born in 1934 in North Hamgyong Province, Lee relocated to Seoul at age four to live with his grandparents, later coming of age amid Korea’s liberation and the devastation of the Korean War.

He decided to pursue acting while studying philosophy at Seoul National University, after watching Laurence Olivier’s ‘Hamlet’. Lee made his stage debut in 1956 with ‘Beyond the Horizon’, and in 1965 joined TBC as part of its inaugural roster of contracted performers, cementing his place as a living witness to the evolution of Korean broadcasting.

Lee delivered enduring performances across both period pieces and contemporary dramas, appearing in such titles as ‘What Is Love?’, ‘Hur Jun’, ‘The Merchant’ and ‘Lee San, Wind of the Palace’. At the 2024 KBS Drama Awards, he received his first career grand prize, becoming the oldest winner of the honor to date.

In addition to his on-screen work, Lee served as a distinguished professor in the Department of Acting Arts at Gachon University, dedicating himself to mentoring the next generation of performers.

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