Visitors Continue to Pay Respects at Late Namgung Won's Funeral Hall: "An Actor Full of Affection and Love"

Condolences Continue for Shin Young-kyun, Choi Bul-am, Lee Byung-hun, Chung Mong-jun, and Kim Boo-kyum

On the 6th, a steady stream of figures from the film industry, business circles, and politics visited the funeral hall of veteran actor Namgung-won (real name Hong Kyung-il), who was known as Korea's 'Gregory Peck' for his Western looks. His son is Hong Jung-wook, chairman of Organica, who is also the author of the book "7 Acts and 7 Scenes" and a former member of the National Assembly.

Original 'Jogakminam' Veteran Actor Namgung Won Passes Away
Photo by Yonhap News

The deceased, aged 90, had been battling lung cancer for several years before passing away on the 5th.

At the funeral hall set up at Seoul Asan Medical Center in Songpa-gu, colleagues who had ties with the late actor visited from early morning to pay their respects. More than 40 actors, including Shin Young-kyun, who was active in Chungmuro alongside the deceased during the 1960s and 1970s, as well as Choi Bul-am and Im Ha-ryong, came to offer condolences. Junior actor Lee Byung-hun also visited the funeral hall.

Lee Gap-sung, chairman of the Korean Film Actors Association in the 1990s, who worked with the deceased, recalled, "Senior Namgung-won, along with senior Shin Young-kyun, was one of the most respected figures among juniors. He even used his personal funds to establish the Actors Association building. That shows how much he cared for juniors and how full of affection and love he was."

Im Ha-ryong, who visited the funeral hall, said, "Our connection began in the early 1980s when we performed together in the United States, and it lasted for 40 years. Recently, I couldn't contact him personally, so I was saddened to hear the sudden news of his passing." He added, "When I saw him on screen, I wondered how there could be such a handsome actor in Korea. He was very devoted to his family and even family-oriented," recalling the late actor.

[Photo by Yonhap News]

Political figures who had built friendships with his son, Chairman Hong Jung-wook, also visited the funeral hall to mourn. Among them were Chung Mong-joon, chairman of the Asan Foundation and former member of the Grand National Party, and former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum.

Earlier, on the 5th, Chairman Hong posted on his social media, "I was proud and happy to be my father's son every moment he was alive and breathing. I thank everyone who offered their condolences."

The funeral procession will be held on the morning of the 8th, with the burial site at Gwangneung Memorial Park in Pocheon City. According to the deceased's wishes, the funeral will be a private family ceremony, and no floral tributes or monetary condolences will be accepted.

Meanwhile, the late actor debuted in 1959 with the film "If That Night Comes Again." He appeared in over 340 films, including "Sisters' Garden" (1959), "Red Scarf" (1964), "The Eunuch" (1968), "The Housemaid" (1971), "I Love Mama" (1975), "Membrane" (1980), and "The Man with a Chest" (1993), establishing himself as a top star representing the Korean film industry.