[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, who died on the 5th. As a measure to honor 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 order on behalf of the government.
This Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit was the third order, following the Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit (3rd grade) in 2005 and the Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit (2nd grade) in 2013. It carried the meaning of officially honoring contributions 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.
He received numerous awards at major ceremonies including the Grand Bell Awards, Blue Dragon, and Baeksang, and lived his life alongside Korean cinema as a "national actor." The deceased died 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 mortuary was set up at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital funeral hall, and the funeral procession took place at 6 a.m. on the 9th.