""Hyung, you have to come back."" In the movie 'Radio Star', this line that actor Park Joong-hoon choked up as he spoke to Ahn Sung-ki is touching many people's hearts again today.
'National actor' Ahn Sung-ki has finally left us. On Jan. 5, 2026, at 9 a.m., he died in the intensive care unit of Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, while his family watched. He was 74.
Late last year he collapsed at home after food became lodged in his throat and was transported to the hospital, where he was treated in an unconscious state but ultimately did not recover. The film community and the public worried over news of his deteriorating health and waited for a miracle, but in the end they faced a farewell amid deep sorrow.
A scene that recalled Ahn Sung-ki's final days had already flashed like a premonition in Park Joong-hoon's calm confession not long ago. On Channel A's 'Best friends tokyumentary – table for four', Park Joong-hoon spoke about his long-time film colleague and life partner Ahn Sung-ki like this: "Senior Ahn Sung-ki is both a companion and a father figure to me. If I were a balloon, senior tied a stone to that balloon. Without that stone, it would have burst while flying." he recalled.
But faced with news of his illness, he soon could not continue. "Not long ago I told him, 'My life was so good because you were there.' He smiled weakly and delicately. I felt like I was going to cry, but I held it back," Park Joong-hoon said. And a few days later, that confession returned with even greater poignancy.
Ahn Sung-ki was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2019 and continued a long battle with the disease. He was once declared cured, and afterward he appeared at film festivals and award ceremonies, telling many people that "my health is improving." His acting was always directed at people, quietly but firmly comforting his era and generations. His agency mourned, saying, "Actor Ahn Sung-ki was a person who accompanied the history of Korea's popular culture with deep dedication and consistent diligence," and "his acting was always toward life."
Ahn Sung-ki and Park Joong-hoon, who made films together for more than 40 years. Their relationship was more than a simple senior-junior bond; they were companions who supported each other's lives. Perhaps for that reason, the line from the movie 'Radio Star', "Hyung, you have to come back," is now not just a line but a final farewell many people offer in their hearts. Although he has left, his acting and name remain with us.
[Photo] 'OSEN DB'
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