'National mother' actress the late Kim Ji-young has been gone from our side for what feels like eight years.
Feb. 19, 2026, is the ninth anniversary of Kim Ji-young's passing at the age of 79. She died of acute pneumonia, a complication while battling lung cancer.
Born in 1938 in Hamgyeongbuk Province, Kim Ji-young debuted as an actress in 1958 through theater and became widely known through the 1960 film 'The Heirs'.
Afterward, Kim Ji-young met viewers through major works that received long-running love, such as 'Jeonwon Ilgi', 'Yuknammae', 'The Age of Wanderers', and 'land', and she received much love appearing in 'Piano', 'Full House', 'The World They Live In', "Let's Eat 2", 'Bring It On, Ghost', and others.
Kim Ji-young, who appeared in films such as 'Silenced', 'Take Off', 'Mapado', 'Haeundae', 'Tazza', 'Our Happy Time', 'Don't Trust Her', and 'The Most Beautiful Goodbye in the World', remained present as a 'national mother' and 'national grandmother,' appearing in around 100 works during nearly 60 years of acting.
In particular, after being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2015, Kim Ji-young continued working on projects for two years without disclosing her illness. At that time she appeared in 'Make Her Cry', "Let's Eat 2", 'Fantastic', and it is known she was preparing her next work even before she passed. Her acting passion became an example for other actors.
At the 2017 MBC Drama Awards, a memorial video honoring her was released. The memorial video included captions saying, "An actor forever in our memory and hearts. So thank you very much. We will not forget for a long, long time. Kim Ji-young, who offered comfort to ordinary people during her 57 years as an actress," which added to the poignancy.
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