Lee Soon-jae, one of the acting legends of the Korean entertainment industry, died Tuesday. He was 91.
According to his family, Lee died early on Tuesday morning.
Throughout his career, spanning more than six decades, he appeared in around 140 major television dramas, films and stage shows.
Veteran South Korean Actor Lee Soon-jae Passes Away At 91
Lee Soon-jae death: South Korea's one of the most acclaimed and influential legends, has died at the age of 91, his family confirmed on Tuesday.
Summary
Veteran South Korean actor and former lawmaker Lee Soon-jae breathed his last early Tuesday (November 25, 2025), his family confirmed. He was 91. From theatre to film and television, Lee devoted his entire life to acting and shaped the Korean culture.
Who was Lee Soon-jae?
Born in 1934 in Hoeryong (now in North Korea), Soon-jae moved to Seoul before the 1950-53 Korean War. He graduated from the department of Philosophy at Seoul National University and started his acting career in 1956. He also had a brief political stint and was elected to the National Assembly for the then-ruling Democratic Liberal Party in 1992.
Lee Soon-jae career
Soon-jae made his stage debut in 1956 with Beyond the Horizon. In his six-decade acting journey, he worked across various mediums – from dramas to sitcoms and period pieces. He was one of the oldest active actors in Korea. In the 1970s and '80s, Lee served as chairman of the Korea Broadcast Actors Association.
The veteran star worked in around 140 major dramas. I’ll Become a Man, Dongui Bogam, See and See Again, Three Kim Generation, Men of the Bath House, Rustic Period, Mom’s Dead Upset, What on Earth is Love, High Kick!, High Kick Through the Roof, The King’s Face, Dear My Friends, The Great King, Sejong, Father’s House and Again My Life, among others, are some of his notable works.
Due to his age and health issues, Lee had to cancel scheduled stage performances in October. Before that, he participated in the theatre performance of Waiting for Godot and starred in KBS2’s Dog Knows Everything, for which he won the Daesang (Grand Prize) at the 2024 KBS Drama Awards.
He scripted history by becoming the oldest recipient of the Daesang award.
As per local media, Lee Soon-jae's funeral will be held on November 27 at Asan Medical Centre’s hall. His burial site is at Icheon Eden Memorial Park.
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He is survived by his wife and two children.
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