'World Star' Passes Away... Actress Kang Soo-yeon Dies (Comprehensive Report 2)

Passed away from cerebral hemorrhage after three days of treatment... Condolences from the 8th
Film Industry Funeral Committee formed... Chairman Kim Dong-ho

Actress Kang Soo-yeon passed away around 3 p.m. on the 7th at the age of 55. Kang was found in a state of cardiac arrest by paramedics who responded to a family report at her home in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 5th. She was transferred to a nearby hospital and received treatment for three days but ultimately did not regain consciousness. The cause of death was a cerebral hemorrhage.

Kang was an actress who dominated the Korean film industry in the 1980s and 1990s. She debuted as a child actress at the age of four and appeared in about fifty films over fifty years. From her early twenties, she honed her acting with strong determination, building a unique expressive world. Her passionate performances were directly linked to the international leap of Korean cinema. She won the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival for her role as a surrogate mother living a tragic fate in director Im Kwon-taek's "Sibaji (1987)." This was the result of creating a contradictory yet complex image. She was the first Korean actor to receive trophies from the world's three major film festivals (Cannes, Venice, Berlin), earning her the title of "World Star."

During this period, Kang was the busiest actress in Chungmuro. She was filming three to four movies simultaneously. In particular, six films were released in 1987 alone, including "Prince Yeonsan," "Potato," "We Are Going to Geneva Now," "Chowha," and "Mimi and Cheolsu's Youth Sketch." She showcased a wide acting spectrum with different charms in each. She continued to break away from stereotypes with bold challenges, achieving various accomplishments. A representative achievement was winning the Best Actress award at the Moscow International Film Festival for Im Kwon-taek's "Aje Aje Bara Aje (1989)." She shaved her head and portrayed a Mahayana Buddhist practice saving sentient beings from the secular world, earning critical acclaim.

In the 1990s, she played a key role in the "Korean New Cinema." She collaborated with directors Park Kwang-su, Jang Sun-woo, and Lee Hyun-seung on films such as "Berlin Report (1991)," "The Road to Racetrack (1991)," and "Blue in You (1992)." In 1991, she also appeared in the Taiwanese film "Naksan Wind." This was a remarkable challenge at a time when Korean actors rarely ventured overseas. Kang is also regarded as a pioneer of feminist-themed films. She appeared in "Go Alone Like the Horn of a Rhinoceros (1995)" and "Virgin's Dinner (1998)," leading social and cultural trends. Based on her early experience attending international film festivals, she also took on cultural administrative roles. Notably, from 2015 to 2017, she served as co-executive director of the Busan International Film Festival. This year, she filmed director Yeon Sang-ho's new work "Jung-E" until January.

The film industry formed a funeral committee for the film community with former Busan International Film Festival chairman Kim Dong-ho as the chairman. Advisors include actors Kim Ji-mi, Park Jeong-ja, Park Joong-hoon, Son Sook, Ahn Sung-ki, Shin Young-kyun; film directors Lee Woo-seok, Im Kwon-taek, Jung Ji-young, Jung Jin-woo; and film producer Hwang Ki-sung. The funeral hall is set up at Samsung Seoul Hospital Funeral Hall, Basement 2, Room 17. Condolences can be paid from 10 a.m. on the 8th. The funeral will be held on the 11th.