Actor the late Na Cheol died three years ago, but he still remains in the hearts of many.
Jan. 21, 2026, marked the third anniversary of actor the late Na Cheol's death. The sudden bad news delivered ahead of the 2023 Lunar New Year holiday brought great shock and sorrow to the entertainment industry and fans.
Na Cheol made any role his own. He appeared in films Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds, 1987, Extreme Job, Midnight Runners, Tune in for Love, Sinkhole, Concrete Utopia and dramas drama The Good Wife, Entourage, Stranger 2, Hospital Playlist season 2, D.P., Happiness, Through the Darkness, A Superior Day, Little Women, and Weak Hero Class 1, and in Weak Hero Class 1 he played the role of Kim Gilsu, delivering a chilling villain performance that firmly etched his name in the public's mind.
Na Cheol was beloved in life for his fine character as much as his acting. In particular, Kim Go-eun, who worked with him in the film Tune in for Love and the drama Little Women, never failed to express her feelings for the late actor every year. Ahead of the third anniversary, she visited the tree burial where he sleeps and set a modest spread of snacks that he likely enjoyed in life — squid, laver, soju, canned beer — then left the message, "I'll come again!"
To Kim Go-eun, Na Cheol was more than a colleague. After news of Na Cheol's death was reported, Kim Go-eun canceled scheduled appearances and, posting a tribute that read "the most wonderful actor Na Cheol. the most wonderful person father husband son friend Na Cheol," fell into deep grief.
Kim Go-eun is not the only one. Actor Lee Dong-hwi also said parting with Na Cheol was the biggest turning point in his life. On the tvN show You Quiz on the Block aired on the 11th, he spoke of the pain of seeing Na Cheol off and said, "After sending off a friend I promised myself something. The day I returned home after the funeral procession, I thought I should live trying to make sure such sad things never happen around me again."
In particular, Lee Dong-hwi said that after losing his friend he decided to live a life that cares for not only himself but his family and those around him. From a taciturn son to a talkative son who looks after those around him more diligently, Lee Dong-hwi conveyed his longing for Na Cheol.
Three years have passed since he left our side, but Na Cheol lives on in the memories of so many.
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