The People's Father Who Breathed with the Public for Over Half a Century... 'Veteran Actor' Song Jae-ho Passes Away Due to Illness

Veteran actor Song Jae-ho passed away on the 7th due to a long-term illness. He was 83 years old. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Han-ah Na] Song Jae-ho, a national veteran actor consistently called the 'National Father,' passed away from an illness at 6 p.m. on the 7th. He was 83 years old.

Born in 1937 in Pyongyang, Pyeongannam-do, North Korea, he graduated from Dong-A University with a degree in Korean Language and Literature. He debuted in 1959 as a voice actor at KBS Busan Broadcasting Station. Later, in 1964, he moved to Chungmuro and transitioned to acting with the film 'Haksajujeom,' gaining popularity among the public through both television and film.

In 1975, he received great love from audiences as the lead in the film 'Yeongja's Heyday.'

Other notable works include 'Three Times Short, Three Times Long' (1981), and popular 1980s dramas such as 'Ordinary People' and 'Yeolpung,' as well as the Kim Soo-hyun scripted 'Parents' War Memorial' (2004?2005).

In the 2000s, he continued to connect with audiences through films like 'Memories of Murder,' 'The President's Last Bang,' 'May 18,' and 'I Love You.'

Last year, he remained active by appearing in 'Bicycle King Eom Bok-dong' and 'History of Jealousy,' though it was reported that his health had recently worsened.

In 2012, as a member of the Korean Broadcasting Actors Union, he participated in a filming boycott demanding overdue appearance fees from KBS. At that time, he encouraged younger actors in a radio interview, saying, "I personally do not worry about making a living, but I decided to act for the sake of junior actors who need this money to live."

The funeral hall was set up at Seoul Samsung Hospital, and the funeral will be held on Tuesday, the 10th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.