"I felt like I was going to burst into tears"…Park Joong-hoon's premonition, ultimately an eternal farewell with the late Ahn Sung-ki
'National actor' Ahn Sung-ki has finally passed away. He was 74. The film industry and the public, who had been anxious over news of his declining health, ultimately faced the sad news and fell into deep mourning.
Earlier on Channel A's Close Friends documentary–table for four, actor Park Joong-hoon, in a gathering with close friends Hur Jae and Kim Min-jun, revealed a special affection for his longtime film colleague Ahn Sung-ki. Park Joong-hoon said, "Senior Ahn Sung-ki is an irreplaceable person to me. He is a companion and a fatherlike figure," adding, "If I were a balloon, senior put a stone on that balloon. Without that stone, it would have burst while flying," which left a deep impression.
But he soon spoke of Ahn Sung-ki's illness update and could not continue. "His health is very poor right now. Not long ago I told him, 'Because you were here my life was truly good,' but he was too weak and smiled faintly," he said, adding, "I felt like I was going to burst into tears, but I held them back."
Those remarks returned days later with even greater heaviness. At a talk to commemorate the publication of his essay Don't regret on the 4th at the Jeongdong 1928 Art Center in Seoul, Park Joong-hoon also mentioned Ahn Sung-ki, saying, "Hiding it does not make it go away. His health is quite poor. It has been more than a year since I last saw his face." He continued, "Phone calls are difficult, so I have been getting updates from his family. He speaks calmly, but it is truly sad."
He said, "Senior Ahn Sung-ki was my teacher and an object of admiration. There is much to emulate in him as an actor and as a person," adding, "It breaks my heart that he is in a situation where he cannot see the book I published and feel it for himself," which made the venue solemn.
And on Jan. 5, 2026, that premonition became reality.
According to The Korea Film Actors Association, Ahn Sung-ki died at about 9 a.m. that day while receiving treatment in the intensive care unit at Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, with family at his side. It was six days after he collapsed at home on the 30th of last month with food stuck in his throat and was transported to the hospital and treated in an unconscious state.
His agency mourned, saying, "Actor Ahn Sung-ki was a person who accompanied the history of Korean popular culture with a deep sense of mission toward acting and consistent diligence," and added, "His acting was always directed toward people and life, delivering deep resonance and comfort across eras and generations."
Ahn Sung-ki had been battling blood cancer since being diagnosed in 2019, and although he was once declared cured, the illness later recurred. Even so, he appeared at film festivals and award ceremonies and conveyed that "his health is improving," giving hope to many.
After more than 40 years of making films together, Ahn Sung-ki and Park Joong-hoon were more than senior and junior; they were companions who supported each other's lives. Perhaps for that reason, Park Joong-hoon's calm confession, "It is truly sad," became a farewell that lingered in the hearts of many who witnessed it.
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