Tributes pour in for late director Ahn Pan-seok, master of Korean melodrama
From left, director Ahn Pan-seok, actors Son Ye-jin and Jung Hae-in attend the press conference for JTBC’s drama “Something in the Rain” in Seoul, March 28, 2018. Courtesy of JTBC
Veteran television director Ahn Pan-seok, renowned for his acclaimed melodramas, died on Wednesday while undergoing treatment after suffering a brain hemorrhage. He was 64.
The sudden death came just two weeks after reports said he was recovering, prompting an outpouring of grief from colleagues across the Korean entertainment industry. His final work, ENA's upcoming drama “Love Doctor,” is scheduled to premiere in October and will be remembered as his last directorial project.
The production team of “Love Doctor” also confirmed his death in an official statement, saying it was “heartbroken to share the sad news.” Funeral proceedings will be held privately, with details kept from the press.
News of Ahn's brain hemorrhage was first reported on July 31. At the time, Studio Genie told Xportsnews that the director was “currently recovering” and that filming for “Love Doctor” had already been completed, including editing, so there would be no impact on the drama's broadcast schedule.
Ahn had reportedly been diagnosed with lung cancer last year and had been receiving treatment before suffering a brain hemorrhage and being hospitalized.
Tributes have since poured in from colleagues who had maintained long-standing relationships with the director.
Baek Ji-yeon, a former MBC announcer who joined the broadcaster in 1987 in the same intake as Ahn, posted a photo of him on her personal social media account, writing, “May he rest in peace. He was a wonderful director and a truly good friend.”
Actress Kim Hye-eun, who worked with Ahn on JTBC's 2014 drama “Secret Love Affair,” also paid tribute to the late director.
“I was honored to have been given the opportunity to work with director Ahn on ‘Secret Love Affair,’” she wrote. “It breaks my heart that I couldn't work with him on his final project. It is such a heartbreaking loss.”
She added, “Director Ahn Pan-seok, who helped broaden the horizons of my heart. I will never forget your words. I hope you rest peacefully in heaven.”
Ahn's final directorial work, “Love Doctor,” follows Park Min-jae, a doctoral student and former swimmer who lost one leg due to illness, and Lim Yoo-jin, a master's student who has lost her sense of direction in life. The two meet, grow together and fall in love.
Ahn's death comes just two months before the drama's scheduled premiere.
Director Ahn Pan-seok / Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
Ahn began his broadcasting career in 1987 as a producer in MBC's drama department. He made his official directorial debut in 1994 with MBC's anthology series “The Best Theater: Greetings of Love.”
He went on to establish himself as a respected director through works including “The White Tower,” “A Wife's Credentials,” “Secret Love Affair” and “Heard It Through the Grapevine.”
He became particularly known as a master of melodrama for his sensitive portrayals of human emotions in series such as “Secret Love Affair,” “Something in the Rain,” “One Spring Night” and “The Midnight Romance in Hagwon.” More recently, he demonstrated his versatility with the drama “The Art of Negotiation.”
This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.