The oldest active actor, Lee Soon-jae, is focusing on recovery and rehabilitation.
On the 19th, a close associate of Lee Soon-jae revealed in a phone currency with OSEN, "There is no problem with his health. He is a bit weak in his legs, so he has difficulty moving around, and since he is an actor, he felt it would not be appropriate to show that kind of appearance to the public, so he declined visits. There are absolutely no health concerns."
On this day, at the YES24 Stage in Jongno District, Seoul, during a press conference for the play 'Waiting for Godot,' Park Geun-hyung said about Lee Soon-jae, who dropped out midway through the premiere, "I tried to visit several times, but he seemed reluctant, so I was unable to see him directly. I have been hearing about him through others, and it doesn't seem like he's in a good situation."
Born in 1935, Lee Soon-jae debuted in 1956 with the drama 'I Want to Be a Human' and has appeared in numerous works, earning love as the 'national actor.' Until last year, he actively participated in KBS2's drama 'Barking' and the play 'Waiting for Godot,' but he dropped out of 'Waiting for Godot' in October of the same year due to a decline in health. In particular, he raised concerns by not attending the 37th Korean Producers Awards held last April.
At that time, Lee Soon-jae's side explained, "His health has improved significantly. However, he does have some difficulty moving around. As he is older, he has lost muscle strength in his legs, and he needs support from people or assistance, but he does not want that, so the award was accepted on his behalf."
The reason for declining visits from colleagues, including Park Geun-hyung, was similar. A close associate of Lee Soon-jae told OSEN, "Since he is quite old, he has been weak in his legs, and he experienced some pain last year from overexertion, so I think it is right for him to focus on rehabilitation and recovery. Currently, he is concentrating on that. There are absolutely no issues with his health at all."
Meanwhile, Lee Soon-jae has shown his vitality by receiving the grand prize at the '2024 KBS Acting Awards.'
[OSEN]