On the 25th, fellow actors and TV and entertainment figures visited the funeral hall of the late Lee Soon-jae, the "eternal active actor."
Actor Baek Il-seob, 81, came to pay his respects at the funeral hall set up at Asan Medical Center in Songpa District, Seoul, at about 6:30 p.m. that day. Recalling appearing together with the deceased on tvN's travel program "Grandpas Over Flowers," he said with a laugh, "(He) walked the fastest. He thought it was good to walk fast." He then added, "I'm joking, but I feel heavy-hearted."
Baek Il-seob teamed up with the eldest of the cast, the deceased, in the "Grandpas Over Flowers" series in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018.
Mourners recalled memories with the deceased. Actor Kim Hak-cheol, 66, said, "(He) would come to see plays, encourage us, and enjoy them, and hearing this news…" trailing off. He added, "I was so grateful all this time," and "Someday, if we meet in heaven, I want to do a great play together."
He worked with the deceased in drama series such as "Rustic Period," "Jang Hee-bin" and "Palace of Dreams." They also appeared together in the deceased's final play, "Waiting for Godot, Waiting for."
Actor Jang Yong, 80, said, "Since the TBC days, we were together in dramas for 55 years, with him as my father at times and as my older brother at others." He continued, "He always said, 'Falling onstage would make me happiest,' so I often worried he was overdoing it," adding, "Still, he was a true role model for juniors."
Actor Kim Seong-hwan, 75, said, "Whenever we met, he would say, 'I chose Kim Seong-hwan, Kim Yeong-cheol, and Lee Deok-hwa.'" Kim debuted as a 10th-class open recruitment actor at TBC Tongyang Broadcasting, and at the audition Lee Soon-jae served as a judge.
Kim Seong-hwan called the deceased "a truly great star" and said, "He lived upright and honest, and he had great passion for his work." He added, "I hope he will now be in a comfortable place, with no more memorizing lines or staying up all night filming."
Actor Lee Seung-gi, 38, who visited earlier, said, "Early this year, when I heard his health had suddenly worsened, I went to see him at the hospital with my wife," adding, "I can still clearly picture how the teacher chatted quietly with us then and saw us off to the elevator." He added, "I feel so heartbroken, and I hope there will be only comfort and happiness where he is."
Lee Soon-jae once officiated at the wedding of Lee Seung-gi and Lee Da-in. When Lee Seung-gi, the lead in the film "Big Family," received a last-minute offer to appear, the deceased reportedly said, "If Seung-gi is doing it, we must help and do it."
Comedian Choi Byeong-seo, 67, said, "Teacher Lee Soon-jae really liked it whenever I did impressions of him," and added, "A truly great mentor has passed, beyond the entertainment industry." Singer Lee Yong, 68, said, "I remember him telling me when doing drama lines, 'Act as if you're comfortably thinking of me as your father,'" adding, "He was like a real father."
Actor Choi Su-jong, 62, said, "It's so hard to let go of a living witness to history," and added, "We juniors are thinking hard about how to send him off well."
There were also junior TV and entertainment figures who, while not personally close to the deceased, came to the funeral hall. Broadcaster Park Kyung-lim, 46, said, "I met him a few times at production presentations or production briefings," adding, "Each time, he gave me good words and a lot of encouragement." Park said, "All this time, he showed through actions what a cultural artist should be," adding, "We juniors will follow that path well."
Actor Choi Hyun-wook, 23, said, "I really wanted to meet him at least once," and added, "I hope he will truly be happy."
Lee Soon-jae died early that morning at age 91. The deceased worked across genres—dramas, sitcoms, films and plays—without distinction, acting for 70 years. Even last year, he appeared in the play "Waiting for Godot, Waiting for" and the drama "Dog Sound."