National actor Lee Soon-jae burned his passion for acting..I passed away today (25th)
Nov 25, 2025
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Lee Soon-jae passed away early on the 25th. Even at an old age, Lee Soon-jae has been actively engaged in acting by appearing in broadcasts, movies, and plays, and until recently, he has burned his passion for acting by appearing in plays 'Waiting for Godot' and KBS2's Gaesori'.
Lee Soon-jae, a graduate of Seoul National University's philosophy department, became an actor after watching the film 'Hamlet' starring British actor Olivier, and debuted in 1956 through the play 'Hamlet'. Later, in 1965, he became an exclusive actor for the first TBC and lived and breathed with a Korean broadcaster.
Lee Soon-jae later left behind a variety of masterpieces. He showed his face in more than 140 works, including 'Dongui Bogam', 'See and See again', 'Sam-Kim-era', 'Bath House Men', 'Wildlife', 'Land', and 'Mother's Angry'. In addition, the masterpiece 'What's Love?', which earned the modifier 'Bal's Father', was so popular that it recorded 65% of the viewership, and it appeared as a symbol of a patriarchal father, drawing sympathy. He also opened the heyday of historical dramas as representative actors in historical dramas such as 'Heojun', 'Sangdo', and 'Lee San.
Lee Soon-jae was also active in sitcoms. In his 70s, he created comical images in sitcoms 'High Kick' without hesitation' and 'High Kick' through the roof' and was supported by elementary school fans as he was not afraid of the character modifier 'Yadong Soonjae'. On top of that, the entertainment program 「Grandpas Over Flowers」 earned the nickname 「Straightforward Soonjae」 through the series.
Lee Soon-jae has been active on the stage until recently. Since 2016, he has been on stage appearing in 'Longevity Society', 'Grandfather Henry and I', 'King Lear', and in 2023, he directed and performed Chekhov's play 'Seagull'. In addition, he continued to appear in the play 'Waiting for Godot' and the drama 'Geosori', and became the oldest winner of the KBS Acting Awards last year.
In October last year, he was suspended due to a sudden health problem, and has been supported by many people.
lunamoon@sportschosun.com
