A procession of tributes from junior colleagues in the entertainment industry continues at the funeral wake after the death of veteran actor Lee Soon-jae.
Lee Soon-jae died in the early morning of the 25th. He was 91. The wake for the deceased was set up in room 30 of the Asan Medical Center funeral hall, and the chief mourners listed are his wife, Choi Hee-jung, a son and a daughter.
From 2 p.m. that day, condolence visits began at the wake, where attendees included President Lee Jae-myung and actors Ha Jung-woo, Kim Yong-gon, Seo Yea-ji, Shin Mina, Kim Woo-bin, Jang Na-ra, Choi Bul-am, Park Hae-mi, Song Ok-sook, Na Moon-hee, Im Ha-ryong and others, and wreaths of condolence filled the space.
In addition, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and actors Baek Il-seob, the couple Choi Soo-jong and Ha Hee-ra, Kim Young-ok, Kim Hak-rae, Lee Han-wi, Kim Young-chul, Jang Yong, Yoo Dong-geun, Song Seung-heon, Julien Kang, Park Kyung-lim, Choi Hyun-wook, Lee Moo-saeng and Park Sul-nyeo personally visited the wake to offer their final respects. In particular, Park Sul-nyeo said she personally prepared Lee Soon-jae's burial clothes and the mourning clothes for the bereaved family, sharing a special connection.
Meeting reporters at the wake, Lee Seung-gi said, "I think I greatly respected and had a special relationship with teacher Lee Soon-jae during his life. I was always moved whenever I thought of him, and I believe he has gone to a good place today. It has been such an honor that he worked as an actor in Korea, and I think the juniors will carry on his spirit and continue to work diligently."
He said, "I knew the teacher's illness was gradually getting worse, and one comfort was that earlier this year, when the teacher's health suddenly declined, my wife (Lee Da-in) and I visited him in the hospital. At that time we had a quiet conversation, so I feel that was at least some consolation. The teacher wanted to show us his healthy self more, so even though he was ill he came out to the elevator to see us off, and that image is still vivid. It's so heartbreaking; the teacher officiated at my wedding, and when he was urgently offered a role in the final drama 'The Big Family,' he said, 'If Seung-gi is doing it, I must do it,' so this is very painful," he recalled of his memories with the deceased.
He added, "I hope he can finally rest easily there and be happy. Above all, he acted so diligently until the end and had a philosophy that an actor must not forget lines, so he constantly worked to recall his memory; I hope there are only peaceful and happy days for him there," and urged, "I hope many people will mourn and remember the history that Lee Soon-jae walked."
Kim Sung-han said, "I started acting because of our senior, so my heart hurts even more. He was the greatest elder in the entertainment industry, not just in acting, so it is even more painful and sad. He often saw me and treated me kindly, which makes me feel more longing," adding, "I think all entertainers will want to emulate our senior Lee Soon-jae. He lived righteously and honestly. There are probably few people with such passion for work. I think he was truly remarkable. He was a great star. Now in a peaceful place he will have no more lines to memorize, no all-night shoots; I hope he rests comfortably."
Choi Byung-seo said, "I was shocked when I saw the news and rushed over. Regardless of field in the entertainment industry, he was truly a great teacher. Every time I met him he said many heartfelt things. Once in an interview for a magazine, when asked who I admired, I said, 'Teacher Lee Soon-jae,' and other entertainers scolded me for that; it's unbelievable. Even until recently when we talked on the phone he seemed healthy, so it's hard to believe. For more than 40 years every time we met he patted my shoulder and said so many good things; it was better than reading a book," and mourned, "I hope he goes to a good place and rests, stops acting, and only does acting coaching. I hope he rests in peace."
Jang Yong, who had a long relationship with the deceased, said, "I had expected it, but when I actually heard the news I was heartbroken. I was close to him for about 55 years since TBC, sometimes like a father, sometimes like an older brother. On the other hand, he suffered for a very long time. He struggled for about a year, but if he goes to the other world now, his friends will be waiting and he will not be lonely. I hope he went peacefully. I pray for his repose," adding, "He always said the happiest thing would be to fall on stage, but we always worried whether he was overexerting himself. He was a great example for us juniors, sometimes a mentor and an aspiration, a truly remarkable elder and senior. I always pray in my heart that he will go peacefully."
Park Kyung-lim said, "He was always a role model and a senior who gave us juniors so much good advice, so I am heartbroken. I only heard recently that his health was poor, so I had been supporting him in my heart; I pray he is healthy there and offer my deepest condolences," adding, "The teacher showed us by action, not words, what cultural artists should be like. I sincerely thank him. As he did, we juniors will follow that path. I sincerely hope he is free of pain and happy there."
Kim Hak-chul said, "I recently did the play 'Waiting for Godot,' and the teacher came to see it, encouraged me and enjoyed it greatly; hearing this news today feels like a dream," adding, "In life I worked with him on 'Age of Wanderer,' 'Palace of Dreams,' and 'Jang Hui-bin.' Teacher Lee Soon-jae, who always encouraged and supported me, please rest in peace. Thank you for everything. If we meet again in heaven, let's do a great play together," his eyes reddened.
Meanwhile, Choi Hyun-wook, who had not worked on a project with Lee Soon-jae, rushed to the wake. Meeting reporters, he bowed his head and said, "I just really wanted to see him once." He added, "Hearing the news made me feel so bad. I just wish he would rest well. I saw him on video at an awards ceremony on the theater stage. It just made me feel so bad," and choked up, saying, "I never met him in a work, so I hope he truly lived happily."
Meanwhile, from the afternoon the KBS annex set up a separate memorial space for members of the public who wanted to bid farewell to Lee Soon-jae on his final journey. The deceased's funeral procession will be held at 6:20 a.m. on the 27th, and the burial site is Eden Park in Icheon.
[Photo] photo joint coverage team
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