jasdooit

An individual who admitted to experiencing loneliness even though surrounded by love, and a natural theater performer who constantly sought out new stages. Actor Yoon Seok-hwa (69), recognized for her performances in *Agnes of God* and *The Last Empress*, passed away at 9:54 a.m. on the 19th at Sinchon Severance Hospital in Seoul, after undergoing surgery for a brain tumor, with her family by her side.

She fell ill in October 2022 during a business trip to the UK following her performance in the play *Hamlet*. Although she had three significant operations in Seoul, she never completely regained her health. Her last performance on stage was a brief five-minute role as an old person sitting on a bench in the 2023 play *Toccata*.

◇Make your debut as a “Genius Girl” in Theater

Born in Seoul in 1956, she initially became well-known for singing jingles for “Oran C” and “Bravo Cone.” While often visiting recording studios, Lee Hyo-young, the leader of the Minjung Theater group and a broadcasting producer, invited her to try acting. She responded, “I don’t want to be a performer,” but this statement eventually led to her debut as the main character in the 1975 play *Sweet Taste of Honey*. Playwright Lee Geun-sam praised her as “the emergence of a genius girl.”

The 1983 play *Agnes of God* turned her into a household name. By the time the 170th show ended, 30,000 people had come to the small theater—a remarkable achievement in Korean theater. Works such as *Duet for One* (1988), *Letter to My Daughter* (1992), *Master Class* (1998), and musicals *Guys and Dolls* (1994) and *The Last Empress* (1995) solidified her status as a top draw. Her 1990 coffee commercial line, “I’m also a gentle woman when you truly know me,” made a lasting impact. She once remarked, “After *Agnes*, the term ‘star’ stuck with me, and it brought me sorrow. The more glamorous it became, the more isolated I felt.” For her, theater was “a sanctuary of truth constructed on imaginary ground,” and the stage was “the most genuine place, my own world where I could breathe freely and find solace.”

◇“The Honest Theater Stage, My Universe”

In her 50s, challenges arose. In 2007, she was involved in a scandal regarding fabricated academic qualifications that stated she had graduated from Ewha Womans University, for which she repeatedly expressed regret. Her performances were also canceled after she used her name for her husband’s paper company. “I once attempted to jump off the Han River Bridge and walked up to the top of a 20-story building,” she revealed. A foreign actress’s words, “Don’t die before you die,” became her guiding principle. What ultimately helped her rise again was always the stage and the audience. “The ‘vitality’ of the audience, their honesty and affection, was the lifeline that kept my journey as an actor going.”

◇Taking in a Son and Daughter… Guiding Support Initiatives for Theater Professionals

Between 1999 and 2006, she was the publisher of the performing arts publication *Auditorium*. In 2002, she established the experimental theater ‘Jeongmiso’ in the Dongdaemun District of Seoul, which she ran for 17 years. In 2013, she walked the red carpet as a co-producer of the musical *Top Hat*, which received the Laurence Olivier Award in London’s West End.

The renowned actor, who took in a son and daughter, dedicated her efforts to enhancing adoption awareness via charity performances. Serving as the leader of the Theater Artists Welfare Foundation, she focused on assisting with healthcare and housing expenses for theater professionals and providing educational grants for their offspring.

When they met in late autumn 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, she shared, “When I was about to perform on stage with six broken ribs from a traffic accident, the doctor told me, ‘You might die,’ and I thought, ‘If I die on stage, I would be happy.’” Very few actors could express such depth and loneliness with as much honesty as Yoon Seok-hwa. “Every time I perform, I want to run away, but when I meet the audience, I feel, ‘I’m glad I crossed this river,’” she added. Now, she will join experienced and younger theater artists who have already reached the other side of that river, creating a divine performance.

She was honored with the Lee Hae-rang Theater Award in 1998, won the Baeksang Arts Award on four occasions, received acting accolades at the Dong-A Theater Award and Seoul Theater Festival, was awarded the Presidential Citation in 2005, and received the Korea Culture and Arts Award in 2009.

The funeral is scheduled to take place in Room 1 of the Special Funeral Hall at Sinchon Severance Hospital. Attendees will include her husband, Kim Seok-ki, who previously served as the head of Jungang Comprehensive Finance, their son Kim Soo-min, and daughter Kim Su-hwa. The funeral procession is set to begin at 9 a.m. on the 21st.