"1st Anniversary Memorial Exhibition: Kang Soo-yeon's Pride Greatly Influences Juniors"

Major Films Screening at Megabox Seongsu Until the 9th
Actors Ahn Sung-ki, Park Joong-hoon, Yoo Ji-tae, Moon Sung-keun Attend
Park Bo-gyun Recalls "Kang Soo-yeon as an 'Honest Competitor'"

"Kang Soo-yeon was the most beautiful person I have ever seen in person." Actor Park Joong-hoon said this while recalling the late Kang Soo-yeon. On the evening of the 7th, the first anniversary memorial exhibition for Kang Soo-yeon, titled 'Kang Soo-yeon, Cinematically for a Long Time,' was held at Megabox Seongsu in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Over 300 people from the film industry filled the screening room to remember the deceased. Kang Soo-yeon passed away last year on May 7th at the age of 55.

Park Joong-hoon, who worked with her in films such as 'Mimi and Cheolsu's Youth Sketch (1987),' described her as "externally glamorous but actually very frugal," and "a big-hearted person who readily helped those in need." Actor Ahn Sung-ki, who also appeared on stage, said, "Our Soo-yeon is not here today, but I believe she is watching from somewhere," adding, "I think you all feel the same way."

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo-gyun was also present. He said, "The late Kang Soo-yeon I remember was an actor who was faithful to the script, honest, and decisive," emphasizing that "'an honest competitor' was at the core of her identity." Actor and director Yoo Ji-tae, who hosted the event, recalled, "She encouraged me to try directing at the Busan International Film Festival in the past," and "I remember it was a great source of strength for me at the time."

The opening ceremony began with songs performed by singer Kim Hyun-chul and actor Gong Seong-ha. They sang the title track of the film 'Blue in You (1992),' in which the late actress starred. Junior filmmakers shared their reflections on the first anniversary of her passing through video messages. Actress Moon So-ri recalled, "(Her) crisp way of speaking remains vivid in my memory. Her Seoul dialect was smooth and precise, almost like it was finely carved; at first, it had a somewhat sharp 'taste' to her speech." She added, "She must have had many difficult and challenging moments due to her strong sense of responsibility, but she never once showed weakness." Actor Lee Jung-jae expressed gratitude, saying, "Her devoted and passionate efforts to promote Korean cinema overseas are still clearly remembered in front of my eyes, in my memory, and in my heart."

The late actress honed her craft for about 50 years, building a unique expressive world. Her passionate performances were directly linked to the international leap of Korean cinema. She won the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival for her role as a surrogate mother living a tragic fate in 'The Surrogate Woman (1987).' She was the first Korean actor to receive trophies from the world's three major film festivals (Cannes, Venice, Berlin), earning her the title of 'World Star.' She also won the Best Actress award at the Moscow International Film Festival, the highest honor in the communist bloc, for 'Come Come Come Upward (1989).' Even afterward, she broke away from stereotypes through bold challenges and became a pillar of the 'Korean New Cinema.' Based on her early experiences attending overseas film festivals, she also took on cultural administrative roles. Notably, from 2015 to 2017, she served as co-executive director of the Busan International Film Festival, promoting the excellence of Korean cinema worldwide.

The memorial exhibition runs until the 9th at Megabox Seongsu, screening her major films and featuring conversations between the directors and actors of those works and the audience. On this day, the film 'The Road to the Racetrack (1991),' directed by Jang Sun-woo, was introduced. After the screening, actor Moon Sung-geun, who starred alongside Kang Soo-yeon, took the stage to engage in a dialogue with the audience. When asked about Kang Soo-yeon's special qualities, he answered, "The most striking thing is definitely her pride." He emphasized, "It is perfectly captured in the line borrowed in the film 'Veteran (2015),' 'We may not have money, but we have pride,' which had a significant impact on juniors and still does today."

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