The actor Kim Joo-young, who delivered a weighty resonance on historical drama stages, has left us. He was 73.
The late Kim Joo-young recently battled pneumonia and died on the 30th of last month. According to Yonhap News, his family said he had suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis in his youth, leaving him with weak lungs.
Kim Joo-young graduated from Chung-Ang University with a degree in theater and film and began his acting career in 1974 as a sixth-generation MBC open-recruit actor. He later passed the 15th open recruitment for Tongyang Broadcasting Corporation (TBC), which brought him to the attention of home audiences.
He made an impression on the public through Susa Banjang and later left a deep resonance in numerous grand historical dramas. From the Joseon Dynasty Five Hundred Years series to Tears of the Dragon, The King and the Queen, Taejo Wang Geon, Empress Myeongseong, Age of Warriors, The Great Merchant, The Legend of Chunhyang, and Jeong Do-jeon, he shone as a robust presence and a living witness to period and historical dramas.
Then, after an eight-year hiatus, news that he had received a shamanic initiation surprised the public.
Last year he appeared on MBN's Sokpuli Show Dongchimi and drew attention by confessing, "After 50 years of acting life, I became a shaman." On the program Kim Joo-young said, "I discussed it with my wife and son. Isn't it better than my son dying? So I decided to live for now. That's why I came to serve the deity," prompting Sunwoo Eun-sook to ask, "Won't you act?" and Kim Joo-young replied, "I want to act until I die."
Fans and colleagues have expressed their condolences, saying, "A great actor who guarded the home screen for many years."
The funeral rites will be held on the 2nd, and the burial site is Incheon Family Park.
[Photo] Broadcast capture
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