"Country Diaries" and "Tears of the Dragon" Actor Park Sangjo Passes Away at 80

Passed Away on the 4th After Battling Lung Cancer

Actor Park Sangjo passed away at around 2 p.m. on October 4, 2025, at a hospital in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, after battling lung cancer. He was 80 years old.

According to his family, Park was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in August of the previous year and had been undergoing chemotherapy. His condition deteriorated rapidly starting last month.

Born in 1945, Park Sangjo graduated from the Department of Theater and Film at Chung-Ang University and made his debut in 1969 as part of the first group of MBC's open recruitment actors. He steadily built his acting career by appearing in numerous dramas, including "Country Diaries," "Three Families Under One Roof," "Sandglass," "Tears of the Dragon," "Taejo Wang Geon," "Jang Heebin," "Inspector Park Moonsu," "The Great King Sejong," and "Taejong Lee Bangwon."

He left a particularly strong impression as a criminal in "Chief Detective" and gained attention for his role as General Eunbu in "Tears of the Dragon." Spanning nearly 50 years, his career across both theater and television dramas left a lasting mark on the public.

Details regarding the funeral and memorial services will be announced by the family at a later date.