Veteran actress Kang Soo Yeon passed away at Gangnam Severance Hospital at around 3 pm KST on May 7. She died due to cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 55. The actress was receiving treatment in the hospital following a cardiac arrest and was surrounded by her family members when she took her last breath.
Actress Kang was admitted to the hospital after she was discovered unresponsive at her home in Apgujeong, Gangnam, Seoul, at around 5 pm on Thursday, May 5. She received treatment for three days but never regained consciousness. The memorial altar is set at the Samsung Medical Center.
South Korean actors and directors, including actress Kim Hye Soo, Moon Geum Young, and Parasite director Bong Joon Ho, mourn the demise of the veteran actress. The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, May 11. It will be led by Kim Dong Ho, who is the current chairman of the Gangneung International Film Festival and the co-founder of the Busan International Film Festival. The funeral service will be live-streamed on the official YouTube channel of the Korean Film Council.
First Korean Actor to Win Best Actress Award at Venice International Film Festival
Born in Seoul on August 18, 1966, Kang made her acting debut at the age of four through the local broadcaster TBC. She was part of several films and television dramas during the first few years of her acting career. Gradually, she became a prominent child artist.
The actress gained international fame by being the first Korean actor to win the best actress award at the Venice International Film Festival in 1987. She received the award for her performance in the film The Surrogate Womb by director Im Kwon Taek. In the movie, she portrayed the struggles of Korean women due to the deep-rooted patriarchal system in the country.
Two years later, actress Kang bagged the best actress award at the Moscow International Film Festival for her role in Come, Come, Come Upward.
Other Projects
The veteran actress was part of several box-office hits, including The Road To Race Track, Blue in You, Go Alone Like Musso's Horn, and Girl's Night Out. In Go Alone Like Musso's Horn, and Girl's Night Out, she represented the feminist in the country.
Actress Kang has appeared in several television dramas, like Diary of High School Student and Ladies of the Palace. She took a break from her acting career in 2011 with the mini-series Kanji. She was the co-director of the Busan International Film Festival from 2015 to 2017.
The actress was gearing up for her comeback with Netflix's science fiction film Jung-E. The movie is helmed by director Yeon Sang Ho of Train To Busan fame. According to K-media reports, she wrapped the filming of this project recently.
