The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on the 19th that it is pushing a plan to award a cultural order posthumously to actor Yun Seok-hwa (69), who died after battling a brain tumor.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) said that day, "The deceased appeared in numerous works and showed a broad range of acting, and won multiple theater awards and the Baeksang Arts Awards, and has been regarded as an actor representing Korea's performing arts scene," explaining the background for pushing the posthumous cultural order.
The cultural order is an order awarded to those with clear merits for contributing to the development of culture and the enjoyment of culture by the public. It is divided into five grades: from the highest Geumgwan (gold crown) to Eungwan (silver crown), Bogwan (precious crown), Ok-gwan (jade crown), and Hwagwan (flower crown). The grade of the cultural order to be awarded posthumously to Yun Seok-hwa will be determined after a review of contributions.
Born in Seoul in 1956, Yun Seok-hwa debuted with the play Honey taste in 1975 and steadily worked across plays, musicals, drama, and film. Appearing in Agnes of God, Hamlet, and Letter to My Daughter, Yun was active as a star in the theater world.
After performing in the play Hamlet in Jul. 2022, Yun underwent surgery for a malignant brain tumor in Oct. that year and battled the illness before dying around 10 a.m. on the 19th with family and acquaintances by the bedside. Surviving family members include the spouse, former JoongAng General Finance CEO Kim Seok-ki, a son, and a daughter.