[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 (3rd class) in 2005 and the Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit (2nd class) 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 with the 1957 film "Twilight Train," Ahn appeared in more than 130 titles 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 ushered in Korean cinema's first era of 10 million admissions and was regarded as an actor symbolizing popularity and industrial growth.
Winning numerous awards at major ceremonies such as the Grand Bell Awards, Blue Dragon, and Baeksang, he spent his life alongside Korean cinema as a "national actor." The deceased passed away at 9 a.m. on the 5th in the intensive care unit of Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Yongsan District, Seoul, with family at the bedside, and the funeral was held as a film industry funeral. The memorial altar was set up at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital funeral hall, and the procession began at 6 a.m. on the 9th.