'Korean cinema's towering figure' the late Ahn Sung-ki devoted his life to film.
The MBC memorial special documentary 'National actor, Ahn Sung-ki' broadcast on the 11th depicted Ahn Sung-ki's life as 'the history of Korean cinema' and 'the face of the era' and the last traces he left behind. The narration was by actor Byun Yo-Han, who has ties to Ahn Sung-ki through films such as 'Hansan: Rising Dragon.'
Ahn Sung-ki debuted at age 5 in director Kim Ki-young's film 'Twilight Train.' He went on to appear in numerous works such as 'The Housemaid' and 'A Pig's Dream,' setting the record as the country's first child actor to win at an overseas film festival. After a 10-year break for his studies, he returned in 1980 with director Lee Jang-ho's 'A Day When the Wind Blows,' winning the Grand Bell Award for best new actor and solidifying his position as an adult actor. This is regarded as a case that broke the then-common belief in the film industry that 'child actors have difficulty succeeding as adult actors.'
Ahn Sung-ki appeared in major works in Korean film history such as 'Deep Blue Night,' 'Chilsu and Mansu,' 'Two Cops,' and 'Silmido,' sweeping the Grand Bell Awards, Blue Dragon Film Awards and Baeksang Arts Awards. In particular, his record for most best actor awards remains intact to this day.
The work considered a turning point in his acting career was 'No Mercy for the Rude.' He did not insist on only leading roles, taking on villains and supporting parts to set an example for younger actors that a film's completeness is more important than the prominence of a role. He also appeared without pay in low-budget and independent films, contributing to securing diversity in Korean cinema.
Especially, Ahn Sung-ki was known in the entertainment industry as a 'symbol of self-discipline' rare for being free of scandals. Colleagues testified that he always arrived on set first with diligence and treated bit actors without formality, leading the atmosphere on set.
Externally, he served as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador for 40 years since 1988, working for child welfare. He also continued public interest activities inside and outside the film world, including narrating films to promote independence activists and leading the establishment of the Asiana International Short Film Festival to revitalize short films.
Even after it became known that Ahn Sung-ki was battling blood cancer, he continued working in films such as 'Hansan: Rising Dragon,' 'Cassiopeia' and 'Birth.' While undergoing treatment, he served as chairman of the Shin Young-kyun Art Foundation and devoted himself to nurturing younger people in the film industry.
At the funeral ceremony held solemnly on the 9th, filmmakers both senior and junior, including director Im Kwon-taek, Jung Woosung, Lee Jung-jae and Sul Kyung-gu, attended in large numbers to see the deceased off on his final path. The film community evaluates the diligence, consideration and pure passion for film that he left behind as an important spiritual asset of Korean cinema.
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