 |
| Actor Song Jae-ho / Yonhap |
By Park Ji-won
Veteran actor Song Jae-ho, best known for various roles in multiple films and dramas such as "Yeongja's Heydays" (1975), "Three Times Each for Short and Long Ways" (1981) and KBS drama "Precious Family" (2004), has passed away of a chronic disease on Saturday. He was 83.
Born in Pyongyang before division of Korea on April 10, 1937, Song dreamed of being a film director and majored in Korean literature in Dong-A University in Busan to write scenarios. He debuted as a voice actor at KBS Busan Broadcasting Branch Office in 1959. He started his career as an actor in 1964 with the film "Student Pub" (translated title). He rose to stardom with the lead role in "Yeongja's Heydays." He is known by his nickname "national father" as he played numerous father roles in many dramas and films.
He starred in many famous modern and historical TV dramas such as "Tears of the Dragon," "Empress Myeongseong" "Sangdo, Merchants of Joseon," "Ordinary People" (translated title) and "Sign." He also starred in many films such as "Memories of Murder" (2003) directed by Bong Joon-ho and "May 18" (2007) and was also active until last year with the film "Race to Freedom: Um Bok Dong."
He is also known for working as a shooter and an international shooting referee. He is known to have started shooting in 1978 thanks to his friend Park Jong-kyu, former chief of Presidential Security Service under the Park Chung-hee administration. He was registered as a shooter in 1979 and worked an international referee during the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Apart from shooting, he showed an affection for protecting wild animals and children's welfare, serving as a chairman of Wildlife Management Association and an ambassador for Holt Children's Service.
Song also worked for improving work conditions for actors. He took part in the protest of the Korea Broadcasting Actors Union, which called for proper payment of actors and boycotted appearing in KBS programs in 2012.
Lee Nak-yon, chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, offered condolences over Song's death.
"He was a national actor who committed to acting for his entire life. He is familiar to us with all his generous father roles in dramas, but many would remember him as a role of social estrangement like James Dean … He was such a warm-hearted actor. I will miss him a lot."
A memorial is being held at Samsung Medical Center.
![[INTERVIEW] Virtual K-pop group MAVE: is more than just pretty pixels](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/bcc387606cf7451c94f51a5978960c9f.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Seoul's increased art market momentum brings Sotheby's back to Korea](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/439cd1756cb04676b08309ef063cecfd.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] 'Cobweb' director questions meaning of cinema](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/a029c9ea411f4aef94c6310f6a7c3c54.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
