Lee Soon-jae Receives South Korea's Highest Cultural Honor Posthumously
By Baik Seung-Chul | Nov 26, 2025
On Wednesday afternoon, the Gold Crown Order of Cultural Merit was placed at the memorial altar for the late Lee Soon-jae at Asan Medical Center in Seoul. The South Korean government posthumously awarded the screen legend the Order of Cultural Merit (Geumgwan, 1st Class) following his death on Nov. 25. The decoration honors exceptional contributions to the nation’s arts and culture; Lee previously received the Silver Crown in 2018.