Actor Lee Soon-jae. Provided by iMBC.

Actor Lee Soon-jae, who has been active as the 'oldest active actor,' has passed away at the age of 91.

According to his family, Lee Soon-jae passed away early in the morning on the 25th. Despite his advanced age, Lee Soon-jae boasted meticulous health management and continued his acting career across various genres, including television, film, and theater. He was actively working recently, appearing in the play 'Waiting for Godot' and the KBS 2TV drama 'Bullshit.'

Born in Hoeryeong, North Hamgyong Province, in 1934, Lee Soon-jae moved to Seoul with his grandparents at the age of four. His registered birth year is 1935.

He experienced liberation during his elementary school years while helping his grandfather with business at Namdaemun Market. He experienced the Korean War in his first year of high school.

Lee Soon-jae discovered his passion for acting during his university years. After enrolling in the Department of Philosophy at Seoul National University, he became engrossed in watching movies, a cheap hobby for university students at the time. It was after watching Laurence Olivier's film 'Hamlet' that he decided to pursue acting.

After his debut in the play 'Beyond the Horizon' in 1956, Lee Soon-jae became an exclusive actor with TBC in 1965, making him a part of Korean broadcasting history.

His notable drama appearances include over 140 works such as 'I Want to Be Human Too,' 'Donguibogam,' 'See You Again and Again,' 'The Era of the Three Kims,' 'Men of the Bath House,' 'The Age of the Unruly,' 'Toji,' and 'My Mom is Angry.' If minor roles are included, the number is immeasurable. He has appeared in over 30 productions in a single month.

One of his representative works, the drama 'What is Love' (1991-1992), achieved a viewership rating of 65%. His character, the archetypal patriarchal father known as 'Daebari's Father,' resonated with audiences in the patriarchal social atmosphere of the time.

Lee Soon-jae also led the golden age of historical dramas. He consistently appeared in historical dramas in the 1970s and 80s, including 'Samogok,' 'Queen Inmok,' 'Sangno,' 'The Wind and the Clouds,' and 'Independence Gate.' He also hit it big with his charismatic and powerful performances in 'Hur Jun' (1999), 'Sangdo' (2001), and 'Yi San' (2007).

Lee Soon-jae. Provided by MBN.

Although he had already reached the pinnacle of his acting career, Lee Soon-jae continuously expanded his acting repertoire. In his 70s, he shed his usual solemn image in the sitcoms 'High Kick!' (2006) and 'High Kick Through the Roof' (2009), winning immense popularity for his comedic performances. His character 'Yadong Soon-jae' even garnered him child fans.

Beyond acting, in the variety show 'Grandpas Over Flowers' (2013), he demonstrated his ageless passion with his tireless energy and enthusiastic demeanor. His brisk pace earned him the nickname 'Jikjin Soon-jae' (Straight-Ahead Soon-jae).

Even as he approached his nineties, Lee Soon-jae never stopped challenging himself. Returning to the theater stage, Lee Soon-jae delivered powerful performances in 'Veteran House' (2016), 'My Old Man and Me' (2017), and 'King Lear' (2021). In particular, he received acclaim for his perfect delivery of the extensive dialogue in the 200-minute production of 'King Lear.' In 2023, he took his first step as a director, staging Anton Chekhov's play 'The Seagull' on a grand theater stage with junior actors.

Lee Soon-jae's passion for acting did not wane last year either. Until he temporarily suspended his activities due to health issues last October, he poured his final acting spirit into appearances in the play 'Waiting for Godot' and the KBS 2TV drama 'Bullshit.' Last year, he became the oldest recipient of the Grand Prize at the KBS Drama Awards.

Although Lee Soon-jae dedicated his life to acting, he also briefly entered politics, serving as a member of the 14th National Assembly (Democratic Liberal Party).

In the 1992 general election for the 14th National Assembly, he ran and won in the Jungnang-gap constituency in Seoul as a candidate for the then-ruling Democratic Liberal Party. Subsequently, as a member of the National Assembly, he served as deputy spokesperson for the DLP and secretary of the Korea-Japan Parliamentary League.

He also consistently showed interest in students aspiring to become actors and taught as an endowed professor in the Department of Acting and Arts at Gachon University until recently.

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