Veteran actor Lee Soon Jae passed away in the early hours of November 25th KST at the age of 91. Leaving behind one of the longest and most influential legacies in Korean broadcasting and theater history, he remained an “eternal working actor” who continued performing until the very end.
Born in 1934 in Hoeryeong, North Hamgyong Province, he moved to Seoul at the age of four and belonged to the generation that lived through the Korean War and liberation. While studying philosophy at Seoul National University, he was captivated by Laurence Olivier’s film ‘Hamlet’ and chose the path of acting. He made his stage debut in 1956 with the play ‘Beyond the Horizon’, and the following year appeared on television in the drama ‘Blue Horizon’, marking his first small-screen role.
Lee Soon Jae became an exclusive actor for TBC and went on to appear in more than 100 dramas. Over the next half-century, he moved seamlessly across television, film, and theater, witnessing—and shaping—the trajectory of Korean popular culture. He took on both leading and supporting roles, at times appearing in more than 30 works in a single month, demonstrating extraordinary dedication and stamina.
The work that made his name widely known was the 1991 MBC drama ‘What Is Love?’, where he played the patriarch “Daebal’s Father,” a role that sparked a nationwide syndrome and achieved an average viewership rating of 59 percent. Its impact later contributed to his election as a member of the 14th National Assembly. Even while active in politics, he continued acting, and upon retiring from political life, he returned fully to his craft.
Lee was also at the center of many major historical dramas. Through works such as ‘Hur Jun’, ‘Sangdo’, and ‘Yi San’, he delivered commanding performances that helped define the genre’s golden era. He was unafraid of transforming his image; in sitcoms like ‘High Kick Through the Roof’ and ‘Unstoppable High Kick’, he embraced comedic, human roles that endeared him to younger viewers. He even earned the famously bold nickname “Adult Video Soon Jae,” and at 72, he won the Grand Prize at the MBC Entertainment Awards.
In the variety show ‘Grandpas Over Flowers’, he earned affectionate nicknames such as “Straightforward Soon Jae” and “Nation’s Grandpa,” showcasing undiminished energy and passion. He also brought depth to elderly characters in works like the film ‘I Love You’ and the drama ‘Beethoven Virus’.
Even at the threshold of ninety, he did not stop. Returning to the stage with plays such as ‘The Good Doctor’s Son’, ‘Me and Grandpa Henri’, and ‘King Lear’, he delivered hours of live performance and massive dialogue. His 200-minute staging of ‘King Lear’ was praised as “a miracle by an 87-year-old actor.” He later expanded his work into directing, staging Anton Chekhov’s ‘The Seagull’.
He received the Achievement Award at the 3rd Edaily Culture Awards in 2016 and, in 2024, became the oldest recipient of the Grand Prize at the KBS Drama Awards for his performance in ‘Dog Sounds’. He was also named Best Actor at the 2025 Korea PD Awards, though he could not attend due to declining health.
Lee Soon Jae was also an educator. As a distinguished professor in the Acting Arts Department at Gachon University, he mentored many juniors and often said, “You must always be prepared for when the opportunity comes.”
He was an actor who proved his life through the stage—someone who acted longer than anyone else, and who left the stage later than anyone else. He had continued performing in the recent play ‘Waiting for Godot While Waiting’, but had to step away due to health issues. Though he vowed to return to the stage, he ultimately could not fulfill that promise.
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