I am very sad to see a senior I truly respect as a person leave.
Actor Park Jung-hoon said this on the afternoon of the 5th after visiting the memorial altar for "national actor" Ahn Sung-ki at the funeral hall of The Catholic Univ. of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital in Seocho-gu, Seoul.
Park Jung-hoon said, We will not forget the influence the senior had on the film industry and the love given to seniors, juniors, and colleagues, and will keep it well, adding, Please remember senior Ahn Sung-ki forever.
Park Jung-hoon and the deceased are a representative Chungmuro duo who appeared together starting with the film Chil-su and Man-su (1988), followed by Two Cops (1992), Nowhere to Hide (1999), and Radio Star (2006).
In 2017, during a special exhibition marking the 60th anniversary of his debut, Ahn Sung-ki picked 10 of his representative films, and Two Cops, Nowhere to Hide, and Radio Star made the list. Their bond was special enough that he chose three of the four films he did with Park Jung-hoon.
"Emperor of pop" Cho Yong-pil, Ahn Sung-ki's friend of 60 years, also visited the altar that day. Cho said, When he was hospitalized last time, I couldn't enter the hospital, so I talked for a long time with my wife in the parking lot, adding, I thought he was fine after being discharged, but this happened so suddenly that it is so heartbreaking. There must still be so many things he wanted to do.
Cho also said, Seeing the portrait at the altar brought back many old memories, recalling, We sat next to each other in the same class, and we always walked home together after school.
He went on, I hope you can go up and be at ease, and even continue your acting career, adding, Seong-gi, let's meet again.
Their relationship goes back to middle school. Ahn Sung-ki, whose birthday is Jan. 1, entered school early and attended Seoul Kyungdong Middle School with Cho Yong-pil. In particular, the two said they were desk mates in the third year and were such close childhood friends that they went back and forth to each other's homes to play.
Ahn Sung-ki and Cho Yong-pil also received the Silver Crown Order of Cultural Merit, the highest honor of the Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards, together in 2013.
Director Im Kwon-taek, who visited the altar, called the deceased an excellent actor who left no room for a director to feel any anxiety on set. He added, A fine person who lived as a good actor.
Ahn Sung-ki appeared in Im's works including Miss Swallow (1964), Mandala (1981), The Taebaek Mountains (1994), Chihwaseon (2001), and Revivre (2015).
Kim Dong-ho, former executive chairman of the Busan International Film Festival, said the deceased is the "history of the Busan International Film Festival." Ahn Sung-ki, along with the late actor Kang Soo-yeon, emceed the opening ceremony of the first Busan International Film Festival and has attended steadily.
Kim said, The deceased has made great contributions to the development of Korean cinema, adding, The film industry is going through a tough time now, and it would be nice if he could look after it a bit from heaven.
Actor Kim Dong-hyun also paid tribute at the altar. Kim said, I keep tearing up, adding, As a colleague, I am so sad, and I only wish he felt a little less pain.
Kim Dong-hyun picked the film Silmido among the deceased's memorable works, saying, The vigorous image of him falling into water and running around is vivid, adding, I hoped he could stay healthy much longer, but it's so sudden that I feel sad and sorry.
Actors Shin Hyun-joon and Park Sang-won, Lee Jung-jae, and other film figures also visited Ahn Sung-ki's altar to pay their respects.
Ahn Sung-ki died at around 9 a.m. that day at age 74 with family by his side. He is survived by his wife, Oh So-young, and sons, Da-bin and Philip.
Ahn Sung-ki debuted as a child actor at age 5 in the 1957 film Twilight Train and appeared in more than 180 films. The funeral will be hosted as a "film industry funeral" by the Shin Young-kyun Arts and Culture Foundation and The Korea Film Actors Association. The funeral procession is scheduled for the 9th.