Lee Soon-jae Cancels Performance and Lecture Schedule... "Doctor Recommends Rest"

"Performance Canceled Due to Doctor's Recommendation for Rest"

Veteran actor Lee Soon-jae (89) has canceled his scheduled performances and lectures due to health issues.

On the 10th, the production company Park Company announced via social media (SNS) that the performance of the play "Waiting for Godot" starring Lee Soon-jae was canceled due to the lead actor's health reasons.

Actor Lee Soon-jae. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The production company stated, "Although the teacher (Lee Soon-jae) expressed his will to stand on stage to keep his lifelong belief in honoring promises to the audience, the performance was canceled following the doctor's strong recommendation for rest."

The play, which opened last month, is a comedy that pays homage to the play "Waiting for Godot," with Lee Soon-jae playing the lead role of Esther.

Additionally, Lee Soon-jae's masterclass lecture titled "70 Years of Acting Philosophy," scheduled for the 12th, has been postponed indefinitely. This event is intended to explain the attitudes and acting philosophy that aspiring child and adolescent actors should have. The organizer, the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service, stated, "The event will be held once actor Lee Soon-jae recovers his health."

Born in 1935, Lee Soon-jae debuted in 1956 with the drama "Shall I Become Human Too?" and has been steadily active for 68 years across film, TV, and theater stages. Recently, he has been actively participating, including starring in the KBS2 drama "Gaesori."

At the "Gaesori" production press conference, actor Kim Yong-gun said, "In the latter part of the production, Lee Soon-jae teacher's health was a bit poor, so both we and the staff were very worried," adding, "He overcame that and memorized all his lines by writing them on large sheets of paper even when he couldn't see the script. Through this work 'Gaesori,' Lee Soon-jae teacher's steadfastness became an example to us."