Following a farewell ceremony and cremation in Seoul, the ashes of veteran actor Ahn Sung Ki were interred at a cemetery in Gyeonggi on 9/1. The funeral procession was led by fellow actors, with Jung Woo Sung carrying the portrait of his senior and Lee Jung Jae holding the Order of Cultural Merit medal, an honor bestowed upon Ahn Sung Ki by the South Korean government. Six actors, including Joo Ji Hoon, Yoo Ji Tae, Park Hae Il, Jo Woo Jin, Sol Kyung Kyu, and Park Chul Min, carried the coffin to the vehicle.

Lee Jung Jae (left) and Jung Woo Sung led the funeral procession. _Etoday_

Ahn Sung Ki passed away surrounded by his family in the intensive care unit of Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Yongsan district, on the morning of 5/1. He had been admitted in a comatose state after choking on food at his home on 30/12/2025. In his final years, the actor's health declined significantly. In 2022, he revealed he was battling blood cancer and ceased all professional work to undergo chemotherapy. Despite periods of health improvement where he appeared at events wearing a wig, his manager confirmed that he persistently underwent treatment, hoping to return to the screen and create new works.

Approximately 600 people bade farewell to the Korean screen legend. Among the mourners were actors Hyun Bin, Oh Ji Ho, Jung Joon Ho, Park Sang Won, and Ahn Jae Wook, along with numerous directors and his students. Earlier, actors Kim Tae Hee and Rain visited the funeral home to pay their respects and offer condolences to the family. Actor Jung Woo Sung became emotional while delivering a eulogy for the veteran artist, stating, "From his time as a child actor until the end of his life, our senior always strove to maintain and protect the spirit of Korean cinema".

Actor Hyun Bin bids farewell to senior Ahn Sung Ki. _MK_

At the funeral, Ahn Sung Ki’s eldest son read a letter his father wrote to him as a child. A poignant passage from the letter recalled, "The day you were born, I saw for the first time a face that was exactly like mine. That face was smaller than my fist; everything feels like yesterday. Now you are grown and mature, and looking at you, I wish for nothing more". In the letter, the artist wished for his son to be humble, upright, and to possess a compassionate and open heart. He advised his son, "If you fail or encounter sorrow, face it with serenity. Before any difficulties, do not lose yourself; face them bravely".

Portrait of artist Ahn Sung Ki. _News1_

Ahn Sung Ki was born in 1952 in Seoul and graduated from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He began acting as a child in director Kim Ki Young's film *Twilight Train* (1957). According to the Korean Film Archive, over his 60-year career, he appeared in more than 180 film and television productions. He is remembered by Asian audiences for movies such as *Stairway to Heaven*, *Two Cops*, *Bitter Game*, *Radio Star*, and *Hansan: Rising Dragon*. He also starred in *In the Name of the Son* (2021), a film about a former police officer seeking redemption after the 1980 Gwangju massacre.

The actor was honored at numerous prestigious award ceremonies, such as the Blue Dragon Awards and Baeksang Arts Awards, and received the Order of Cultural Merit from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of South Korea, earning him the media moniker "the nation's actor". Beyond acting, Ahn Sung Ki pioneered many activities in the Korean film industry. He served as executive director of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) and President of the Asiana International Short Film Festival (2003-2021), contributing to the discovery and nurturing of young talent. Before his hospitalization, he chaired the activities of the Shin Young Kyun Arts and Culture Foundation, where he served as chairman of the board.

In the book *100 Years and 100 Scenes of Korean Cinema*, film critic Heo Mun Yeong remarked that Ahn Sung Ki possessed a simple and virtuous character, respected by those around him. In an interview, he once said, "Caring for others and having a good heart are what I inherited from my mother". He married sculptor Oh So Yeong in 1985 and had two sons.

Nhu Anh