Premiering Friday, Jan. 9 at 8:50 p.m. KST, SBS’ "The Man Who Was Always There, Actor Ahn Sung-ki" celebrates the towering figure of Korean cinema―an enduring “national actor” whose career shaped generations of filmgoers.
Ahn passed away on Jan. 5. Over five days of memorial rites, a who’s who of culture and entertainment―Cho Yong-pil, director Im Kwon-taek, Lee Jung-jae, Jung Woo-sung, Park Joong-hoon, Han Suk-kyu and many more―paid their respects. The special includes footage from the funeral procession, where younger actors helped carry the casket, offering a quiet, unvarnished look at the industry’s farewell and a reflective portrait of a life devoted to film.
Across 69 years and some 170 projects, Ahn stood at the very heart of Korean film history―from the censorship-strained 1980s to the global K-content boom. The documentary traces that journey, from the untold stories behind his signature roles to the discipline that kept him training daily for more than three decades, and his tireless work behind the scenes to elevate the industry―revealing facets of Ahn the public rarely saw.
Even after his 2022 revelation that he was battling blood cancer, Ahn never let go of his passion for acting. The special will also share first-time accounts from the set of his final film, "A Birth."
Narration comes from Han Ye-ri, who co-starred with Ahn in the 2016 film "The Hunt" and has long admired the veteran actor. With her calm, resonant delivery, Han guides viewers through Ahn’s six-decade journey on screen and his final chapter, promising a tribute that lingers long after the credits roll.
SBS’ memorial special "The Man Who Was Always There, Actor Ahn Sung-ki" airs Friday, Jan. 9 at 8:50 p.m. KST.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)