Two days after actor Ahn Sung-ki passed away, Hwang Shin-hye, who cried at an official event, and Rhee Minjung, who refused to make a heart pose, are drawing attention.
Ahn Sung-ki died at 9 a.m. on Jan. 5, 2026, at the age of 74. He was recently moved to the intensive care unit in a state of cardiac arrest and received intensive treatment, but ultimately did not recover and passed away surrounded by family.
As a 'national actor' who led the Korean film industry, Ahn Sung-ki was followed by condolences expressing the devastating feelings of younger actors. Actors Jung Bo-seog, Jeong Eun-pyo, Ko Hyun-jung, Kim Seon-a, Ko Kyung-pyo, Lee Dong-hwi, Uhm Ji-won, Jang Hyuk, Han Ye-ri, Lee Young-ae, Song Sun-mi, Cho Seong Ha, Kim Gyuri, Lee Sang-min, Lee Bon, Kim Seung-hyun, Yoon Hyun-sook, Lee Ki-yong, Harisu, Moon Hee-kyung, Ha Joon, Yoo Ji-tae and others remembered Ahn Sung-ki and paid their respects.
With the funeral rites set for the 9th, many people continued to pay their respects on the 6th, the second day the wake was open. Among them, Hwang Shin-hye and Rhee Minjung drew particular attention.
Hwang Shin-hye first worked with Ahn Sung-ki in the 1987 film "Our Joyful Young Days." "Our Joyful Young Days" was significant as Hwang Shin-hye's first film appearance after debuting as an MBC class 16 talent in 1983, and working on this film with Ahn Sung-ki added to its meaning.
After learning of Ahn Sung-ki's passing, Hwang Shin-hye posted a tribute on her social account saying, "Rest in peace. The time I was able to make films together with you on the same set and in front of the same camera was a great honor in my life. Thank you for being a pillar of Korean cinema for so long. I will not forget the moments we shared. I hope you are at peace there. I truly respected you. I offer my deepest condolences," and at the KBS1 production briefing for "Hwang Shin-hye's Let's Live Together" held on the 6th she recalled him and showed tears.
Hwang Shin-hye said she would visit the wake after the production briefing and cried, "So many goodbyes have happened between the start of the new year and the 6th. It was hard to pull myself together. I am grateful that this time was allowed. We made our first film together, and he remained a pillar of the film industry for a long time. It is regrettable that he left early, and I plan to go pay my respects after this event. I hope he goes to a good place and rests."
While Hwang Shin-hye mourned Ahn Sung-ki with tears at an official event, Rhee Minjung politely declined a pose request at an official event to mourn him.
Rhee Minjung attended the "2026 Korea First Brand Awards" ceremony held at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 6th. Wearing a neat black dress and standing at the photo wall, Rhee Minjung posed with a subtle smile and without any notable poses or gestures in the wake of Ahn Sung-ki's death. In particular, when requests for heart poses were made, she politely declined given the atmosphere, and afterward went to Ahn Sung-ki's wake to pay her respects and see him off on his final journey.
Rhee Minjung released a photo taken with Ahn Sung-ki, who was battling blood cancer, saying, "I went to pay my respects to my teacher and was surprised when this photo suddenly came. The teacher was truly warm and wonderful," and she received applause for choosing black at the awards ceremony, an official event, to express her respect while mourning Ahn Sung-ki.
Meanwhile, Ahn Sung-ki's wake was set up in room 31 of the funeral hall at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. The funeral rites will be held at 6 a.m. on the 9th, and the burial site is Byeolgeurida in Yangpyeong.
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