Veteran Actor Lee Soon-jae Passes Away at 90, Remained Active in Acting Until Later Years

[Financial News] Veteran actor and former National Assembly member Lee Soon-jae has passed away at the age of 90.
According to his family on the 25th, Lee Soon-jae passed away early this morning. Despite his advanced age, he continued his acting career, though concerns about his health arose late last year. He had canceled theater performances and focused on rest and recovery.
Born in Hoeryong, North Hamgyong Province, Lee graduated from Seoul High School and Seoul National University (SNU) with a degree in philosophy. He made his television acting debut in 1961 with the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) drama 'I Also Want to Be Human.'
Lee Soon-jae appeared in a wide range of productions, including Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)'s 'What Is Love?' and KBS 2TV's 'Men of the Bathhouse,' earning him the reputation as the nation's father figure through popular weekend dramas.
He also led the golden age of historical dramas, consistently appearing in works such as 'Mother's Song,' 'Queen Inmok,' 'Sangno,' 'Wind and Cloud,' and 'Independence Gate' throughout the 1970s and 1980s. His charismatic and weighty performances in 'Hur Jun' (1999), 'Sangdo' (2001), and 'Yi San' (2007) were especially acclaimed.
Although already recognized as a master actor, Lee Soon-jae continued to expand his range. In his seventies, he shed his traditionally stern image and won over audiences with his comedic roles in sitcoms like 'High Kick!' (2006) and 'High Kick Through the Roof' (2009). His character 'Adult Video Soon-jae' even gained him a following among younger viewers.
Even as he approached his nineties, his passion for acting never waned. Until he temporarily halted activities due to health issues last October, he gave his all in productions such as the play 'Waiting for Godot Waiting' and the KBS 2TV drama 'Dog Sound.' Last year, he became the oldest recipient ever of the Grand Prize at the KBS Drama Awards.
Lee Soon-jae served three terms as president of the Korea Broadcasting Actors Association during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1992, he was elected to the National Assembly as a candidate for the then-ruling Democratic Liberal Party, representing the Jungnang A district in Seoul. He later served as deputy spokesperson for the Democratic Liberal Party and as secretary of the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union.
Although he remained active as an actor despite his age, concerns about his health intensified late last year.
He canceled his stage performances in October of last year and was unable to attend the Korea PD Awards ceremony held in April this year.
Further speculation about his declining health arose after fellow actor Park Geun-hyung, who appeared with him on the variety show 'Grandpas Over Flowers,' commented on Lee's condition.
On August 19, Park Geun-hyung expressed concern at a press conference for the play 'Waiting for Godot Waiting,' saying, "I tried to visit Mr. Lee Soon-jae several times, but he was reluctant, so I couldn't see him. I have been hearing about his condition from others, and it did not seem to be good."
[email protected] Moon Young-jin Reporter