Concerns about the health of legendary actor Lee Soon Jae, the oldest active actor in Korea, have resurfaced—but were confirmed to be unfounded.
On August 19th, during a press conference for the play ‘Waiting for Godot…While Waiting’ held at YES24 Stage in Jongno, Seoul, fellow actor Park Geun Hyung stated, “I’ve tried several times to visit him, but he seemed reluctant. I’ve heard from others that things may not be going well,” sparking renewed speculation about Lee’s health.
Earlier, Lee had halted filming of the upcoming drama ‘Dogs Barking’ due to health issues and had also withdrawn mid-performance from the stage play, raising public concern. He was reported to have mobility difficulties and is currently focusing on rehabilitation. He was also unable to attend the 37th Korea PD Awards in April, with his agency representative accepting the award on his behalf.
However, according to confirmation from OSEN on the same day, these rumors were found to be untrue. A close associate of Lee explained, “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with his health. He only has some weakness in his legs, which makes movement difficult. He simply doesn’t want to appear before the public in that condition, and has politely declined visitors.” They added, “He is now focusing entirely on rehabilitation, and only his immediate family is allowed to visit. He had previously overexerted himself, which worsened his condition, so resting is the best course for now.”
Born in 1935, Lee Soon Jae is approaching 90 years of age. He debuted in 1956 with the drama ‘Can I Become Human?’ and has since appeared in countless classics including ‘Jirisan’, ‘Ambition’, ‘Heo Jun’, ‘Yi San’, ‘Unstoppable High Kick’, and ‘The Red Sleeve’, becoming one of Korea’s most beloved national actors.
Just last year, he remained active, appearing in KBS2’s ‘Dogs Barking’ and the play ‘Waiting for Godot…While Waiting’. He also made history by becoming the oldest recipient of the Grand Prize at the 2024 KBS Drama Awards, making him the oldest winner across all three major broadcast networks’ acting award ceremonies.
With confirmation that Lee is simply in rehabilitation and not suffering from any serious health issues, the public has breathed a collective sigh of relief.
SEE ALSO: Kim Jong Kook announces marriage during ‘Running Man’ filming and in heartfelt message to fans
SHARE
