[OSEN] The government posthumously awarded the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit, the highest grade of the Order of Cultural Merit, to the late actor Ahn Sung-ki 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, Minister Chae Hwi-young of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism presented the decoration on behalf of the government.
This Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit followed the Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit (third grade) in 2005 and the Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit (second grade) in 2013, marking his third decoration. It carried the meaning of officially honoring his contributions that led the growth and leap of Korean cinema over more than 60 years.
After debuting in the 1957 film "Twilight Train," Ahn 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 spanned generations. In particular, through "Silmido," he opened the era of the first 10 million-ticket-selling Korean film and was regarded as an actor symbolizing popularity and industrial growth.
He won multiple awards at major ceremonies including the Grand Bell Awards, Blue Dragon, and Baeksang, and was known as a "national actor," living his life alongside Korean cinema. The deceased passed away at 9 a.m. on the 5th 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 community funeral. The mortuary was set up at the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital funeral hall, and the burial service was held solemnly at 6 a.m. on the 9th.