Producer Na Young-seok mourned actor the late Lee Soon-jae. On the set of Three Idiots in Kenya and during a live broadcast he prioritized mourning Lee Soon-jae, showing a decade of loyalty.
Na Young-seok attended the press conference for Netflix's new variety show Three Idiots in Kenya (abbreviated Three Idiots in Kenya) held on the morning of the 25th at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Yongsan, Seoul. He talked about the program under the hosting of broadcaster Park Kyung-rim, with cast members Lee Sugeun, Eun Ji-won, Kyuhyun and junior PD Kim Ye-seul, who directed the program.
But before the main proceedings, Park Kyung-rim spoke in a solemn voice. "This morning we heard that veteran actor Lee Soon-jae of the entertainment industry has passed away. I would like to take this opportunity to offer my deep condolences," she said.
Lee Soon-jae joined Na Young-seok on the tvN variety series Flower Grandpa, helping launch Na Young-seok's group's run of variety show successes. The series, known as Flower Grandpa, was loved across four seasons, beginning with the Europe and Taiwan episodes in 2013, followed by Spain, Greece and the 2018 Returns. Na Young-seok, who directed the series, also had a special bond with Lee Soon-jae. Na Young-seok said, "I received the call this morning and was a little too shocked. Of all times, it was an unexpected thing, so I was very surprised," and could not easily continue.
Na Young-seok particularly said, "I traveled with Mr. Lee and we were together in many places, also at his theater performances, and I often shared memories with the older actors, but in the past year his health was not good so I couldn't see him. I was very taken aback when the news suddenly came."
He said, "During his lifetime, when we traveled and in private gatherings, the thing the senior told us juniors the most was, 'I want to stay on stage until the end.' That remark became a great example to us juniors about the value of consistently and diligently working. I pray that now the senior can rest comfortably in heaven," choking up and moving those present.
That evening on the YouTube channel Channel Sibo-ya live stream, Na Young-seok once again mourned the deceased. He told live viewers, "As you all saw in the articles, Mr. Lee Soon-jae passed away early this morning," and was briefly at a loss for words, then said emphatically, "I was very surprised by sudden calls early this morning. The senior has gone to a good place."
Above all, he emphasized, "It's been more than 10 years since I became connected with Mr. Lee Soon-jae," adding, "The first work I made after moving to tvN was Flower Grandpa. We continued to broadcast together until about six to seven years ago. Even after the show ended, I often visited the seniors' theater stages and had meals with them. Hearing that news this morning left me bewildered."
Na Young-seok added, "Today is also the day Three Idiots in Kenya is first revealed, so I didn't know what to do. I debated whether it was right to hold the press conference and the live. After the live I have to go to the funeral. I haven't gone yet."
The Eggiscoming production team, who worked with him on the Flower Grandpa series, also mourned the deceased on YouTube. On the Channel Sibo-ya official channel they posted, "We mourn our eternal Flower Grandpa, Mr. Lee Soon-jae, with deep sorrow. We will not forget all the time and teachings shared with the senior. We sincerely pray that he rests in peace in heaven," and released photos from the past with Lee Soon-jae. The photos vividly recalled fond memories, showing Lee Soon-jae smiling brightly during Flower Grandpa shoots alongside Shin Goo, Park Geun-hyung, Baek Il-seop and Lee Seo-jin.
The wake for the deceased was set up at Asan Medical Center funeral hall room 30 in Pungnap-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul. The funeral service will be held at 6:20 a.m. on the 27th, and the burial site is Eden Paradise in Icheon.
Photos released by the production team contained scenes from the Flower Grandpa shoot. They showed the late Lee Soon-jae enjoying travel and smiling brightly, and moments with juniors including Shin Goo, Park Geun-hyung, Baek Il-seop and Lee Seo-jin. They captured the bright, living image of the late Lee Soon-jae, who leisurely enjoyed travel and explored new cultures.
Lee Soon-jae passed away early that day. He was 91. The wake is at Asan Medical Center funeral hall room 30, the funeral service will be at 6:20 a.m. on the 27th, and the burial site is Edenakwon in Icheon. With the family's consent, the funeral will be held as president of the Association of Artists, and to honor the late actor who performed into his nineties, a space for the public to pay respects was prepared at the KBS annex in Yeouido, Seoul.
[photo] OSEN DB, YouTube source, joint press corps.
[OSEN]