'national actor' Ahn Sung-gi died on the 5th. He was 74.
According to The Korea Film Actors Association, Ahn Sung-gi died at about 9 a.m. that day while receiving treatment in the intensive care unit at Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, surrounded by family. It was six days after he was found unconscious at home on the 30th of last month with food lodged in his throat and taken to the hospital, where he had been treated in an unconscious state.
The agency, along with the death notice, said, "Actor Ahn Sung-gi was a person who had been part of Korea's popular culture history with a deep sense of mission for acting and consistent diligence," and added, "His acting was always directed toward people and life, and through numerous works he delivered deep resonance and consolation across eras and generations."
Born in Daegu in 1952 and raised in Seoul, Ahn Sung-gi was a face that represented Korean cinema. In addition to his outstanding acting skills, he received deep respect from colleagues, juniors and the public for his lifelong unshakable conduct and demeanor.
His acting career is astonishingly long and deep. He debuted as a child actor in director Kim Ki-young's 1957 film "Twilight Train," and later left a strong impression as a pickpocket boy in Kim Ki-young's "Rebellion of Teenagers," winning the special youth acting award at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
After establishing himself as an adult actor, he became one pillar of Korean film history with works that spanned eras. He showed a wide range of acting across genres in films such as "A Windy Day," "Deep and Blue Night," "Chilsu and Mansu," "Mandala," "White War," "Two Cops," "Radio Star," "Splendid Vacation," and "Broken Arrow." In particular, "Silmido" became the first Korean film to surpass 10 million viewers, leaving another milestone in his filmography.
Ahn Sung-gi worked with directors who represent Korean film history, including Im Kwon-taek, Kang Woo-suk, Lee Myung-se, Lee Jang-ho, Bae Chang-ho and Park Kwang-su, earning the nickname "Chungmuro's reliable man." Outside of acting, he served as executive chairman of the Busan International Film Festival, executive chairman of the Asiana International Short Film Festival and chairman of the Shin Young-kyun Arts and Culture Foundation, maintaining a central role in the film world. In 2013 he received the Silver Crown Cultural Medal at the Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards.
Even after news of his battle with blood cancer became known in 2019, he did not give up his will to act. While receiving treatment, he appeared at events such as the Kang Soo-yeon memorial exhibition, the Wildflower Film Awards, director Lee Joon-ik's retrospective and the Golden Camera Awards ceremony, sharing updates of his recovery and demonstrating his responsibility as a filmmaker until the end.
To colleagues, Ahn Sung-gi was "a person before an actor." Longtime friend Park Joong-hoon recalled, "Senior Ahn Sung-gi was a father to me, a senior and my closest friend." Chinese actress Fan Bingbing also named Ahn Sung-gi as a "Korean actor I want to work with," and Kim Hye-soo said he was "an exceptionally special person," expressing affection and respect.
Survivors include his wife, sculptor Oh So-young; his eldest son, installation artist Da-bin; and his younger son Philip, who is active as an artist and actor.
Ahn Sung-gi's funeral will be held as a film-industry funeral organized by the Shin Young-kyun Arts and Culture Foundation and The Korea Film Actors Association. Honorary funeral chairmen Shin Young-kyun and director Bae Chang-ho, The Korea Film Actors Association chairman Lee Kang-seop, acting head of the Shin Young-kyun Arts and Culture Foundation Shin Eon-sik, and Korea Film Association chairman Yang Yoon-ho will serve as four co-chairmen of the funeral committee, and actors Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woosung and others from the film industry will carry the pall.
Ahn Sung-gi's wake will be held in funeral room 31 at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, and the funeral procession will be held at 6 a.m. on the 9th. The burial site is Yangpyeong Byeolgeurida.
Ahn Sung-gi, a name that walked with Korean cinema for 69 years and more than 180 works since his 1957 debut. He will be long remembered as the dignity of an era beyond the screen.
[photo] OSEN DB, film still
[OSEN]