Yoon Seokhwa. The Asia Business Daily DB
Actor Yoon Seokhwa, known as a "first-generation theater star," has passed away at the age of 69.
According to the theater community on December 19, Yoon Seokhwa died of a brain tumor at around 10 a.m. at Sinchon Severance Hospital in Seoul, surrounded by family and friends.
Yoon Seokhwa had been battling illness since undergoing surgery for a malignant brain tumor in 2022. After publicly sharing her diagnosis, her final stage appearance was a brief five-minute cameo in the 2023 play "Toccata."
Born in Seoul in 1956, Yoon Seokhwa made her debut in 1975 with the play "Sweet Taste." She later rose to prominence as a leading star in the theater world through works such as "Agnes of God," "Hamlet," and "Letter to My Daughter." She also became widely recognized for her line, "If you really get to know me, I'm a gentle woman," in a coffee commercial.
In addition to theater, she appeared in musicals such as "Guys and Dolls" (1994) and "The Last Empress" (1995), as well as the drama "The Miracle We Met" (2018). She was also involved in production and direction. At "Jeongmiso," a small theater she opened in Daehak-ro, Seoul in 2002 with architect Jang Yun-kyu, she staged works such as "19 and 80" and "Wit."
In 1995, she founded the comprehensive entertainment company "Dolkkot Company" and produced the animated film "Hong Gildong 95." In 1999, she acquired the performing arts monthly magazine "Gakseok," which was struggling financially at the time, and served as its publisher.
She won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actress four times, as well as the Dong-A Theater Award, Seoul Theater Festival Award, and Lee Hae-rang Theater Award. In 2005, she received the Presidential Citation, and in 2009, the Korea Culture and Arts Award in the culture and arts category.
The funeral will be held at the Sinchon Severance Hospital funeral hall in Seoul. She is survived by her husband Kim Seokki, a son, and a daughter.
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