Lee Soon-jae, a veteran performer widely regarded as a living legend of Korean entertainment, has died. He was 90.
According to his family, Lee halted stage work last year to focus on rehabilitation and had been trying to recover, but he passed away early on the 25th after his condition worsened.
In January, Lee accepted the Grand Prize at the 2024 KBS Drama Awards, vowing, “I will do my best as an actor until the very end.” Though visibly frail―his hands trembling as he held the mic―he reaffirmed his burning passion for acting and the arts, moving viewers across the country.
Born in 1934 in Hoeryong, North Hamgyong Province, Lee graduated from Seoul High School and studied philosophy at Seoul National University. He made his debut in 1960 as part of KBS’s inaugural class of actors and spent the next 65 years moving seamlessly between the stage, television, and film. Over the decades, he earned affectionate honorifics like “the nation’s father” and “national actor.” Following the 2022 passing of veteran MC Song Hae (born 1927), Lee was recognized as the oldest active performer in Korean entertainment until his death.
Beyond his prolific acting career, Lee served three terms in the 1970s and ’80s as president of the Korea Broadcasting Actors’ Association, championing performers’ rights and mentoring younger talent. In 1992, he was elected to the 14th National Assembly, and he often spoke out on social issues, emphasizing principle and responsibility.
Amid the rise of the #MeToo movement in 2018, he said, “Students and juniors must be respected as individuals. Perpetrators should reflect deeply and live humbly for the rest of their lives.” To his juniors, he frequently offered this guiding note: “Acting is the work of understanding people. Even as the world changes, be an actor who can read the human heart.”
A memorial altar will be set up at Seoul National University Hospital; funeral and procession details will be announced at a later time.
Photo: Baik Seung-Chul
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)