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Ahn Sung-ki, Korean actor, dies
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South Korean legendary actor Ahn Sung-ki has passed away at the age of 75 on the morning of January 5th. For many, he was more than just a celebrated actor, he was a familiar, steady presence who grew alongside Korean cinema and helped shape it for more than 60 years.
Ahn first stepped in front of the camera as a child actor in the 1957 film Hwanghon Yeolcha. From that early start, his life became inseparable from film. Over the decades, audiences came to know him as the country's “national actor,” a title earned not through glamour, but through consistency, sincerity, and an extraordinary ability to disappear into any role. He could be anyone, from society's most overlooked figures to a president, yet always felt deeply human on screen.
In 2020, he was diagnosed with blood cancer, a struggle he faced with the same calm strength he brought to his work. Despite his illness, he continued acting and remained involved in charity, choosing to keep giving as long as he could.
Even as his health declined, Ahn Sung-ki never truly stepped away from film. He made a quiet but meaningful comeback in May 2021 with In the Name of the Son, followed by performances in Cassiopeia (2022), where he portrayed a devoted father caring for a daughter with Alzheimer's, and Hansan: Rising Dragon (2022). In Hansan, he played Yeo Yeong-dam, a seasoned fisherman intimately familiar with the waters off Hansan, another role shaped by restraint and lived-in emotion.
In September 2022, it was first reported that Ahn had been battling blood cancer for more than a year, news that prompted an outpouring of concern and support from fans and colleagues alike. It later emerged that he had once said, “Abruptly abandoning a project is more painful than the ordeal of illness,” a line that revealed just how deeply he valued his work. Even while undergoing treatment and taking medication, he continued to report to the Hansan set.
After collapsing at his home on the 31st of last month, Ahn was unable to recover. He passed away at 9 a.m. on January 5th, leaving behind the set he loved so deeply, what many have described as his final “departure to a filming set in the heavens.”
Ahn Sung-ki never separated leading roles from supporting ones. To him, every character mattered. His performances were marked by restraint and honesty, capable of expressing deep sorrow or gentle humor without ever feeling forced. As often said, his filmography ranged “from a beggar (Whale Hunting) to a president (The Romantic President, Hanbando),” a reflection of his unmatched range. Director Im Kwon-taek once said, “Ahn Sung-ki is an actor who can take on roles that no one else can.”
Audiences will remember him through countless beloved works, including Whale Hunting (1984), Deep Blue Night (1985), Chil-su and Man-su (1988), Gagman (1988), White Badge (1992), Two Cops (1993), The Taebaek Mountains (1994), Silmido (2003), the first Korean film to draw over 10 million viewers, and Radio Star (2006).
Recognition followed Ahn Sung-ki throughout his career, not as a pursuit of prestige, but as a natural response to his work. He won Best Actor honors from all three of South Korea's major film awards, the Blue Dragon Film Awards, the Baeksang Arts Awards, and the Grand Bell Awards, an achievement that reflected both his longevity and his excellence.
His first Best Actor win came in 1982 at the 21st Grand Bell Awards for The Iron Men. From there, accolades continued to follow him for decades, as he consistently delivered performances that set the standard for Korean acting. Thirty years later, in 2012, he received the Best Actor award at the 48th Baeksang Arts Awards for Unbowed, a moment that quietly symbolized the remarkable arc of a career spent at the highest level.
Through these films, Ahn Sung-ki leaves behind more than an impressive body of work. He leaves a legacy of kindness, dedication, and quiet excellence, one that will continue to inspire actors and audiences for generations to come.
Meanwhile, below is a list of Korean celebrities who have passed away in recent years
