[OSEN] The government posthumously awarded the Order of Cultural Merit's highest grade, the Gold Crown Order of Cultural Merit, to the late actor Ahn Sung-ki, who died on the 5th. As a measure to honor his contributions to the development of culture and the arts and to the public's enjoyment of culture, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Chae Hwi-young presented the decoration on behalf of the government.
This Gold Crown Order of Cultural Merit followed the 2005 Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit (3rd class) and the 2013 Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit (2nd class), making it the third decoration. It carried the significance of officially honoring the achievements that led the growth and leap of Korean cinema over about 60 years.
Ahn Sung-ki debuted with the 1957 film "Twilight Train" and appeared in more than 130 works, including "A Fine, Windy Day," "Whale Hunting," "Two Cops," "Silmido," "May 18," and Hansan: Rising Dragon, leaving performances that bridged generations. In particular, through "Silmido," Ahn opened the era of the first 10 million admissions in Korean cinema and was regarded as an actor symbolizing popularity and industrial growth.
Winning multiple awards at major ceremonies such as the Grand Bell Awards, Blue Dragon, and Baeksang, Ahn lived his life alongside Korean cinema as a "national actor." The deceased passed away at 9 a.m. on this day in the intensive care unit of Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, with family at the bedside, and the funeral was held as a film industry funeral. The mourning hall was set up at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital funeral home, and the cortege took place at 6 a.m. on the 9th.