Since 2026 began, the entertainment industry has seen unending sad news. From voice actor the late Song Do-soon, whose death was reported on the last day of 2025, to the late Kim Young-in, the late Ahn Sung-ki, the late Nam Jung-hee and the late Jung Eun-woo, there has been no day without tears.
According to those in the broadcasting industry on the 11th, Jung Eun-woo died that day at the age of 40. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Born in 1986, Jung Eun-woo played basketball at Incheon Songdo Middle School and Songdo High School but changed career paths due to injuries and being somewhat short for a basketball player. She debuted in 2006 in the drama 'Save Me 3' and later appeared in the dramas 'Bride of the Sun', 'Five Fingers', 'One Well-Raised Daughter', 'Return of Hwang Geum-bok', 'My Only One' and in the films 'Serial Wife', 'Miss Changer', 'Memory: Manipulated Murder', among others. She also walked the runway for an André Kim fashion show and received the SBS New Star Award at the 2012 SBS Drama Awards and the Special Acting Award in the one-act special category at the 2013 SBS Drama Awards.
On the 10th, one day before her death, Jung Eun-woo posted a photo of actor the late Leslie Cheung on social media and left the comment 'longing, envious, regretful.. PIR GB'. Because the late actor posted until the day before her death, fans feel even more empty and shocked by the sudden death.
With Jung Eun-woo's death, the entertainment industry has had to say farewell to four actors since 2026 began. On Jan. 4, actor Kim Young-in passed away.
Born in 1943 in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi, Kim Young-in graduated from Gyeonggi Commercial High School and Hanyang University with a degree in history. During his school years he mastered various sports such as hockey, rugby and boxing and, becoming immersed in martial arts, he stepped into Chungmuro. In 1961, he doubled for the protagonists' action scenes in director Kim Ki-duk's film 'Five Marines', earning the nickname 'the flying actor' and leaving a strong impression as an original stuntman.
Starting from there, Kim Young-in appeared in films such as 'Royal Decree', 'The True Record of Kim Doo-han', 'The Lady of Camellias', 'Without Blood or Tears', 'Arahan: The Wind of the Dragon', 'The Fist', 'Tachi Mawa R: Villain, ride the express train to hell', and in dramas such as 'Windless Zone', 'Im Kkeok-jeong', 'Tale of the Dragon's Tears', 'King and the Queen', 'Taejo Wang Geon', 'The Woman Who Loved', 'Shin Don', 'Kim Sooro', 'The Untold Political History of Korea', among others. In recognition of these achievements, he received the Special Acting Award at the 43rd Grand Bell Awards in 2006.
A day after the news of Kim Young-in's death, on the 5th of last month, actor Ahn Sung-ki passed away. Ahn Sung-ki died in the presence of his family after being hospitalized in the intensive care unit and receiving treatment for six days. He was 74.
Ahn Sung-ki first entered the film industry in 1957 as a child actor picked for director Kim Ki-young's 'The Train of Reincarnation', then left the film world for a time due to military service before returning as an adult actor in 1977 through 'Soldiers and the Ladies'. He later starred in films such as 'The Museum's Neighboring Zoo', 'No Mercy', 'Chihwaseon', 'Silmido', 'Arahan: The Wind of the Dragon', 'Korean Peninsula', 'Radio Star', 'Shingijeon', 'Christmas in August', and 'Broken Arrow'.
After being diagnosed with blood cancer in 2019 and undergoing chemotherapy, Ahn Sung-ki was declared cured in 2020, but a recurrence was confirmed six months later during a regular checkup and he underwent treatment again. On the 30th of last month, he was taken to a hospital in cardiac arrest and received treatment but ultimately did not recover and died.
On the 24th of last month, actor Nam Jung-hee died at her home at the age of 84. It was reported that her health deteriorated after spinal surgery a year earlier.
Nam Jung-hee, who debuted in 1962 with the film 'The Story of Sim Cheong', appeared in films such as 'A Starry Night', 'A Long Journey into the Night', 'Jesus Paradise', 'The Camel Does Not Cry Separately', 'Let Me Walk the Single Path', 'A Man Who Can't Even Kiss', 'Taebaek Mountain Range', 'Take the Money and Run', and worked with director Im Kwon-taek on 'Festival', 'The Portrait', 'The Tale of Chunhyang', and with director Bae Chang-ho on 'Jeong'. Recently, she played the role of an elderly mother in films such as 'A Werewolf Boy', 'I Am a Murderer', and 'Brother'.
She also appeared in dramas such as 'Romance', 'Hit', 'Partner', 'High Kick Through the Roof', 'Obstetrics and Gynecology', 'Princess Prosecutor', 'You Who Rolled In on the Vine', 'Master's Sun', 'Pride and Prejudice', 'Pinocchio', 'She Was Pretty', 'Padoya Padoya', 'Strangers from Hell', 'Once Again', among others. Despite gaps after her debut, Nam Jung-hee acted in roughly 300 films, and in 2011 she received the Special Acting Award at the 48th Grand Bell Awards in recognition of her contributions.
The year 2026, which began with the sad news of Kim Young-in's death, became even more somber with the sudden passing of Jung Eun-woo.
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