The late ‘national actor’ Choi Soo-jong passed away.
He expressed his condolences, recalling the time he spent with Sunjae.
Actor Lee Soon-jae passed away in the early morning of the 25th. Age 91. While he was loved by the public as a national actor, many actors, including colleagues and juniors who were with the deceased during his lifetime, expressed their condolences.
Meanwhile, the late Lee Soon-jae and the past MBC drama ‘
‘Ambition (1994), KBS 1TV daily drama People’s House’
(1999), Soo-jong Choi said in a phone interview with ize, “I heard (the news of the death) in the morning. It rained this morning, and I feel very sad. “(Wife) Heera is also very sad,” he said.
Soo-jong Choi recalled the time he spent with Soon-jae Lee on the last day of December last year. December 31, 2024 is the day the late Lee Soon-jae won the ‘Grand Prize’ at the ‘2024 KBS Drama Awards’ awards ceremony. At that time, Soo-jong Choi, the previous year’s grand prize winner, appeared as the grand prize winner and supported Soon-jae Lee on stage. He also stayed by Lee Soon-jae’s side while he announced his thoughts on winning the grand prize. The ‘2024 KBS Drama Awards’ became Lee Soon-jae’s last ‘acting grand prize’, and it was Choi Soo-jong who preserved that moment.
Choi Soo-jong said, “When teacher Lee Soon-jae won the last grand prize (KBS Drama Awards), I was there next to her. I also watched you when you gave your acceptance speech… … “It hurts so much,” he said.
He continued, “It was special with the teacher, and not only for me, but for everyone as well. The teacher always took good care of his juniors. Also, the younger students also visited the teacher when he was working on a piece. If you play, we (our juniors) will come and visit you. I am distraught that you left so suddenly. “It’s sad,” he said.
Choi Soo-jong said about the late Lee Soon-jae, “There is something I remember most. “The teacher had a habit of holding my hand and not letting go,” he said. “And what he always said was, ‘An actor must be an actor.’”