Actor Song Young-kyu laid to rest as fellow performers bid farewell
The late actor Song Young-kyu / Yonhap
Actor Song Young-kyu, known for his roles in hit films and dramas such as “Extreme Job” and “Hot Stove League,” was laid to rest on Wednesday morning in a funeral ceremony held at Davos Hospital in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. He was 55.
His wife and two daughters served as chief mourners. The late actor was buried at Hambaeksan Memorial Park.
Song was found dead in Yongin’s Samga-dong on Aug. 4. Police said there were no signs of foul play.
A veteran of both stage and screen, Song earned widespread recognition through projects like the film “Extreme Job,” as well as dramas including “Narco-Saints,” “Big Bet” and “Stove League.”
Most recently, he appeared in the ENA series “The Defects,” and SBS’s “The Winning Try.”
News of Song’s sudden passing shocked the entertainment industry, prompting emotional tributes from colleagues. Actor Jang Hyuk-jin, who starred alongside him in “The Winning Try,” wrote, “Older brother, you must have been scared and exhausted. I should’ve at least called ...”
Ryu Seung-soo recalled their early collaboration on SBS’s “The Chaser,” writing, “We used to compete with each other in acting — we had great chemistry. You went through so much. Now rest in peace.”
Actress Lee Joo-young, who worked with Song in “Baseball Girl” and the stage version of “Shakespeare in Love,” remembered him as a warm paternal figure. “I naturally started calling him ‘dad’ during the play. I already miss him. He was always such a strong and comforting presence.”
Just weeks before his death, on July 19, Song had been investigated for drunk driving after operating a vehicle while intoxicated for approximately five kilometers.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.