Ahn Sung-ki passes away at 74 years old
by stroopwafel
Ahn Sung-ki, a giant of Korean cinema, has passed away at 74 years old after a long battle with cancer. The widely acclaimed and prolific actor was a foundational presence in Chungmuro, and it’s no exaggeration to say that the history of Korean cinema can be seen reflected in his filmography.
Born in Daegu in 1952, he made his acting debut in 1957 in the movie Twilight Train, directed by Kim Ki-young. Ahn was considered an acting prodigy and he appeared in more than seventy films before he left his teens. The 1968 movie A Young Zelkova (available with English subtitles on YouTube) was the last chapter of his child acting career, and he subsequently took a nine-year hiatus from the industry. During this time, he served in the military and studied Vietnamese at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Though he initially intended to live away from the limelight, his continued failure to find an office job led him back to the movie industry.
Ahn Sung-ki at the Busan International Film Festival (2016)
In the 1980s, he cemented his position as a star and had a string of hit movies across a wide variety of genres. Some of his most notable works include Whale Hunting (1984), Korean cult classic Gagman (1988), Taebaek Mountains (1994), Silmido (2003), and Radio Star (2006). Silmido also made history as the first Korean film to ever hit ten million tickets at the box office.
Over his decades-long career, he received multiple honors from the Blue Dragon Film Awards, the Baeksang Awards, and the Grand Bell Awards. In total he holds the three highest cultural awards conferred by the government; he was the recipient of the Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit in 2005 and the Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit in 2013. On January 5, 2026, the South Korean government posthumously awarded Ahn with the country’s most prestigious cultural award, the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit, in recognition of his contributions to Korean cinema. Ahn’s filmography spans nearly 200 works, but a number of his early works were lost and only about 170 films remain in existence.
Ahn Sung-ki was an actor’s actor; widely respected within the industry both as a professional and a person. He was famous for his gentlemanly manner and the deep affection that many of his hoobae actors held him in. Park Joong-hoon, who co-starred in Radio Star and Two Cops (1993), called Ahn his “forever sunbae” in an October 2025 interview with the Donga Ilbo.
Ahn Sung-ki in the film A Birth (2022)
Ahn Sung-ki was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2019. Following his diagnosis, he stepped back from his work to focus on his treatment and only took the occasional acting role. When his health allowed, he attended retrospectives, award shows, and other industry events. At the closing ceremony for a retrospective honoring the 40th anniversary of director Bae Chang-ho’s 40th debut, he spoke publicly about his intention to return to acting full-time once his health had recovered, stating, “Movies are my everything.”
In addition to his acting, philanthropy was another major focus of his life. He served as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF starting in 1993, and in his role he visited a number of disaster relief sites and advocated for children’s rights. Before his death, he donated 100 million won to the hospital where he received treatment and where his funeral will be held, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital.
Ahn Sung-ki, photographed by Koo Bohnchang (1982)
Ahn Sung-ki is survived by his wife, Oh So-young, and their two sons, Dabin and Phillip. His management company, Artist Company, shared the news of Ahn’s passing on their official social media. Their statement included the information that the agency’s founders Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung would be joining Ahn’s sons to keep vigil during the wake. It’s a sign of how close they were to Ahn, as typically only immediate family members keep vigil.
Ahn Sung-ki was someone who seemed to fully inhabit each of his roles. He had incredible range and never seemed content to tackle one sort of role or genre. No matter the role, he brought depth and a humanity to his characters. His death is a great loss for cinema.
Funeral alter at Ahn Sung-ki’s wake
Via Artist Company Instagram, Donga Ilbo, Ilgan Sports, Hankyung, Chosun Business, Chosun Ilbo
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