Now In Korea
Veteran Actor Lee Soon-jae, Oldest Active Performer, Dies at 91
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
Lee Soon-jae, one of South Korea’s most enduring actors, died at 91 on the morning of the 25th. Born in 1934 in Hamgyeongbuk-do and drawn to acting after seeing Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet, he debuted on stage in 1956 and soon became a familiar face on television. Over a career spanning more than six decades, Lee appeared in over 100 TV dramas, films and countless plays, earning nationwide fame with the 1991 MBC drama 'What Is Love' (사랑이 뭐길래) where his portrayal of the patriarch ‘Daebal’s father’ helped the show reach an average 59% rating and later supported his election to the National Assembly. He remained active across genres—historic dramas like 'Heo Jun' and 'Sangdo', sitcoms such as 'High Kick' (하이킥) that brought him a second wave of popularity with younger viewers, and the travel reality show 'Grandpas Over Flowers' (꽃보다 할배) that highlighted his energy in later years. Even into his 80s he returned to demanding stage roles—most notably an acclaimed 200-minute production of King Lear—and later directed Chekhov’s The Seagull. He received lifetime and acting awards, including a record as the oldest winner of a broadcaster’s top acting prize in 2024. Also a respected educator as a professor at Gachon University’s acting department, Lee continued to promise a return to the stage until health issues forced him to stop performing. He is remembered as a lifelong stage devotee who never stopped acting until the end.
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