Elderly actor Lee Soon-jae, 89, became the protagonist of the 2024 KBS Acting Awards. He is the oldest recipient of the award in KBS history.
Lee Soon-jae was named the award recipient during the '2024 KBS Acting Awards,' which aired from 9:20 p.m. on the 11th to early morning on the 12th.
Lee Soon-jae played an elderly actor who hears the voice of a dog in the drama 'Barking Dogs.' The drama recorded its highest viewership rating of 4.6%.
That day, Lee Soon-jae took the stage and expressed, "Having lived a long life, such a day comes," adding, "I always thought, 'One day, an opportunity will come,' and I was preparing for it, and today, I received this beautiful and precious award."
He also noted, "I have been working as a distinguished professor at Gachon University for 13 years, and I believe that today's result came from trusting those students and doing my best," as he teared up.
Additionally, he bowed and said, "I want to tell the viewers watching that I have depended on you and received a lot of help throughout my life."
Lee Soon-jae, born in 1934, is one of the oldest actors still active in the industry. Since debuting in the 1956 play "Beyond the Horizon," he has been beloved by the public for nearly 70 years in film, TV, and theater.
Last October, Lee Soon-jae garnered concern by announcing that he would fully cancel performances of a play due to health issues and take a three-month break.
On that day, Lee Soon-jae, making his official appearance after three months, was helped onto the stage by junior actors, but after being announced as the award recipient, he raised both arms high towards his juniors.
The acting awards took place at the KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 31st of last month; however, the live broadcast was canceled due to the crash of a Jeju Air passenger plane at Muan Airport.