According to the announcement of the Artist Company management company on January 5, veteran actor Ahn Sung Ki passed away at 9 am local time.
Previously, on the afternoon of December 30, the actor had food choking and a stroke while eating, was taken to the hospital in a state of cardiac arrest and treated in a special care room but did not regain consciousness. His eldest son had time to return to Korea on January 2 to be with his father in his final days.
Ahn Sung Ki was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2019 and underwent prolonged treatment. Although the disease recurred, he still maintained an optimistic image and participated in many film activities until his health weakened.
Mr. Ahn Sung Ki was born in 1952 in Seoul, graduated from Hankuk University of Foreign Languages, and acted from the age of eight in the movie "Twilight Train" (1957) by director Kim Ki Young. The actor is loved by Korean audiences as a "national actor".
He has acted in about 140 films in his career spanning more than 60 years, including television series, action movies and horror films. He is remembered by Asian audiences through the films "Stairway to Heaven", "Two Cops", "Harsh Gambling", "Radio Star" and "Hansan: Rising Dragon".
The actor was honored at many prestigious award ceremonies such as Blue Dragon, Baeksang and received the Cultural Order from the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and was called "national actor" by the media.
In addition to acting, Ahn Sung Ki is a leader in many activities of the Korean film industry, used to be the executive director of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) and Chairman of the Asiana International Short Film Festival (2003-2021), contributing to the discovery and promotion of young talents. Before being hospitalized, he chaired the activities of the Shin Young Kyun Cultural and Art Foundation, where he held the position of chairman of the council.
