Veteran Actor Lee Soon Jae Dies

JAKARTA - Sad news came from the entertainment world of South Korea. Actor Lee Soon Jae was announced dead by his agency on Tuesday, November 25.

The agency and family did not explain the cause of the actor's death. However, before his departure, Lee Soon Jae actively acted in various industries.

Born in 1934, Lee Soon Jae is one of the active veteran actors in Korea. He starred in more than 100 titles that set several records.

One of the dramas, What on Earth is Love, which aired in 1991, scored a rating of 65%. Since then, his character has been known as the father character of the main character.

Then, his character became more and more known after he starred in the High Kick sitcom in 2006. Thanks to the iconic laptop scene, Lee Soon Jae is known as Yadong Soon Jae.

In 2013, Lee Soon Jae starred in the television show Grandpas Over Flowers, an event that shows veteran actors traveling for a vacation.

Some of the drama loans played by Lee Soon Jae are Queen Inmok, Great Vocalation, Dance of Breaking Sky, The Third Republic, I Only Know Love, King2Hearts, Tattoo Star 2013, Money Flower, Again My Life, Family: The Unbreakable Bond, and others.

In August, Lee Soon Jae denied that his health had decreased because he was not present at several awards events. The agency explained that he was treating his knee which was starting to weaken.

Before passing away, he starred in the drama Dog Knows Everything and won Daesang, the highest award category at the 2024 KBS Drama Awards. He became the oldest recipient of the award and attended the event.

Lee Soon Jae also acted in various theaters such as The Student and Mr. Henri with Park So Dam, Yuri SNSD, and Kim Seul Gi. He also starred in the Waiting for Godot theater with SHINee's Minho before stepping down in the middle of the show due to health problems.

Meanwhile, Lee Soon Jae, who was the oldest active actor in South Korea, died at the age of 91.