The oldest active actor, Lee Soon-jae, died on the 25th at age 91. Over his 70-year acting career, he never stopped challenging himself.
Lee Soon-jae's first work was the play "Beyond the horizon," based on a comedy by Eugene O'Neill, in 1956. While studying in the philosophy department at Seoul National University, he appeared as part of activities to rebuild a theater club with classmates.
The following year, he premiered "The Winslow boy" by British writer Terence Rattigan in Korea. At the time, he contacted the writer directly through the embassy, paid $11 in royalties, and signed an official performance contract. In the same year, through the drama "Blue horizon" on the Korean Peninsula's first television station, the Korea Broadcasting, he became known on the small screen.
He embarked on full-fledged acting after being discharged from the military in 1961. It was when KBS launched and the TV broadcasting era opened. Lee Soon-jae was selected as a first-class KBS open recruitment talent. In 1965, he moved to TBC (Tongyang Broadcasting) as a first-class exclusive actor and appeared in more than 100 dramas.
Among Lee Soon-jae's many signature works, the 1991 MBC drama "What is love" became a turning point. Lee played Lee Byung-ho, the president of a print shop, giving a passionate performance, and the drama recorded an average viewership rating of 59.6%, the highest ever. Nicknamed "Daebal's father," Lee rode the wave of popularity to run for the 14th National Assembly in 1992 and won.
Even while engaged in politics, Lee Soon-jae continued acting, appearing in dramas such as "Ambition," "Farewell," and "Men of the bathhouse." After retiring from politics in 1996, he became even more active.
Lee Soon-jae especially expanded into historical dramas by playing Yoo Ui-tae, Heo Jun's mentor, in the 1999 MBC drama "Heo Jun." He later appeared in "Sangdo," "Jang Hee-bin," "Immortal Yi Sun-sin," and "Yi San."
After turning 70, in 2006, Lee Soon-jae took on another acting challenge by appearing in the MBC sitcom "High kick without hesitation." In an episode where he was caught watching a pornographic video in front of relatives, he earned the nickname "Adult video Soon-jae," building a familiar image with younger generations. In 2009, with "High kick through the roof," he once again showcased comic acting.
In 2013, he appeared on tvN's travel program "Grandpas over flowers" with Shin Goo, Park Geun-hyung, and Baek Il-seob, conquering the variety show stage as well. He then led the Grandpas over flowers series as the eldest from 2014, 2015, through 2018.
Even after he was over 80, Lee Soon-jae stood on the theater stage. In particular, at age 87 in 2021 with "King Lear," he let down his white hair and, barefoot, perfectly delivered vast lines for 200 minutes, drawing rave reviews from audiences. Last year, he also took the stage with the play "Waiting for Godot while waiting." Even as some performances were canceled due to health issues, Lee said, "I will focus on recovery so I can definitely return to the stage in good health and repay you."
In 2024, Lee Soon-jae played a veteran actor who comes to hear dogs' voices in the KBS drama "Dog sound." In the same year, he won the grand prize at the KBS Drama Awards, setting the record as the oldest recipient ever. In his acceptance speech, Lee said, "Viewers, I have been indebted to you and received a lot of help all my life. Thank you."