Park Geun-hyung delivered the late Lee Soon-jae's final request, a reason that felt especially heavy
Actor Park Geun-hyung delivered the late Lee Soon-jae's final request through SBS My Little Old Boy, bringing a deep resonance.
On the 28th broadcast of the SBS variety show My Little Old Boy, Park Geun-hyung, the eternal youngest and romantic of Grandpas Over Flowers, appeared as a special MC. At the event Park Geun-hyung recalled Lee Soon-jae, who passed away in November last year, and opened by saying, said it was painful in his heart after being together and sharing hardships for decades. All the juniors miss him and think about what he did for them.
Park Geun-hyung especially recalled the close friendship he shared with Shin Goo and Lee Soon-jae. He said, "Senior Lee Soon-jae was a considerate person who enjoyed talking with people," and added, "After him was teacher Shin Goo, and after that was me. The three of us often gathered to talk about theater," suggesting the deep bond among the masters known as "Grandpas Over Flowers."
More than anything, what hurt Park Geun-hyung the most was the sudden parting. He revealed his lonely feelings, saying, "It was so hard that after he went to the hospital I could not see him again before he left." He then calmly recalled the last day he met the deceased.
At the time, Lee Soon-jae, who visited Park Geun-hyung while he was on the theater stage, reportedly gave his junior affectionate advice along with a final request. Park Geun-hyung said, "He came to the theater and told me, 'From now on you must take charge of the theater world. Please work hard,'" and added, "It sounded like a last will and stayed deeply in my heart," making the studio solemn. The "mother avengers" who heard this also mourned the deceased with sorrowful expressions.
Lee Soon-jae's determination toward his final moments was also conveyed in the earlier broadcast MBC documentary memorial special, 'Actor Lee Soon-jae, I am indebted to you.' The documentary began with a scene on May 25, when Lee Soon-jae, lying in bed, was visited by his agency representative Lee Seung-hee.
When the representative asked, "If you are lying down, is there nothing you want to do?", Lee Soon-jae answered without hesitation, "There is nothing I want to do except works." Even when told, "Recover your body and prepare slowly," he nodded and indicated he wanted to stand on stage again.
But in the end his wish was not fulfilled. Lee Soon-jae passed away on Nov. 25 last year at age 91. His last work was the drama Gaesori. Having finally taken a lead role and full of enthusiasm, he continued filming without showing hardship despite a grueling schedule traveling between Seoul and Geoje Island with his frail body, sources said.
The documentary also conveyed a heartbreaking story that had not been known. Representative Lee Seung-hee recalled, "Although his left and right eyes did not see as before, he rather said he needed to train his acting more," and added, "He asked me to read the script out loud so he could listen and then said he would memorize it all. That was the most heartbreaking," which added to the poignancy.
Even though his eyesight was poor, Lee Soon-jae held on to scripts, dreamed of works from his hospital bed, and asked his juniors to look after the theater world until the end. The last request Park Geun-hyung conveyed — "please work hard" — leaves a deep echo like the last words of a "true actor" whose acting was his life.
[Photo] My Little Old Boy, special documentary
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