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| ▲ Actor Ahn Sung-ki arrives at the red carpet of the 56th Daejong Film Awards, in this June 3, 2020, file photo. (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Yonhap) -- Ahn Sung-ki, one of the country's most beloved actors, widely known for his warm public image and decades-long contributions to Korean cinema, died Monday. He was 74.
He had been receiving treatment in an intensive care unit of a Seoul hospital after collapsing while choking on food at his home Tuesday.
He died at the hospital at around 9 a.m., surrounded by his family, according to the Korea Film Actor's Association.
Ahn, affectionately known as the "Nation's Actor," appeared in approximately 140 films during his career spanning over six decades, which included dramas, action movies and thrillers.
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| ▲ Actor Ahn Sung-ki smiles during an interview with Yonhap News Agency, in this file photo from Feb. 24, 2023. (Yonhap) |
After making his debut as a child actor in "The Twilight Train" in 1957, he went on to build one of the most prolific careers in the Korean film industry. He became a leading actor from the 1980s to the mid-1990s, with popular movies like "Whale Hunting" (1984) and "Our Sweet Days of Youth" (1987).
He continued to appear in major films, including "Silmido" (2003), the first Korean film to surpass the 10 million admissions milestone; "Hanbando" (2006); "Unbowed" (2011); and "Hansan: Rising Dragon" (2022).
His last film was "Noryang: Deadly Sea" (2023), director Kim Han-min's final installment of his trilogy about South Korea's legendary naval admiral Yi Sun-sin. Ahn made a special appearance as a military officer in the film.
Over the course of his career, he was named the best actor numerous times at major local film awards.
In the 2006 film "Radio Star," Ahn portrayed a manager steadfastly standing beside a singer (Park Joong-hoon) who has faded from the spotlight. He won Best Actor together with his close actor friend Park at the Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2006. He received the same award at the Daejong Film Awards in 2007.
"I don't know how to do anything other than acting, and I've actually never done anything else," Ahn told reporters in May 2021 at the release of his film "In the Name of the Son."
"I've always thought of it as my fate. Every time I make a film, it feels like I'm setting out on a new journey," he said.
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| ▲ Actor Ahn Sung-ki attends a press conference for "Ahn Sung-ki: The Persona of Korean Cinema," marking the 60th anniversary of his debut, at the Korean Film Archive in Seoul, in this file photo from April 13, 2017. |
Beyond acting, he dedicated much of his life to humanitarian work, serving with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) since the early 1990s.
In December 1992, he was appointed as a special representative for UNICEF Korea and named a goodwill ambassador in May 1993.
In 2022, he revealed that he had been battling blood cancer since 2019.
In an interview with Yonhap News Agency in February 2023, the actor expressed his determination to return.
"I think I will get better after this year," he said, asking fans to look forward to his next project.
He is survived by his wife and two sons. A funeral led by members of the film industry will be held Friday. Actors including Lee Byung-hun, Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung will serve as pallbearers, while director Bae Chang-ho and actor Jung Woo-sung are scheduled to deliver eulogies.
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