Song Young Kyu passes away at 55: All you need to know about the prolific actor

Time of India

5 days ago

Trigger warning: This article contains references to an individual's death and
DUI
.
Tragic news has shaken the South Korean entertainment world as veteran actor
Song Young Kyu
has passed away at the age of 55. A familiar face in both film and television, the prolific actor was widely known for his memorable role as Chief Choi in the record-breaking comedy hit
Extreme Job
. Beyond this blockbuster performance, Song Young Kyu's career spanned decades, featuring diverse and impactful roles in major K-dramas such as 'Big Bet,' '
Hwarang
,' and 'Hot Stove League.' He was a respected and versatile character actor whose extensive body of work left a lasting mark on the industry.
Here's a closer look.
Rise to fame across films, TV and theatre
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Song
Young Kyu
was an extremely talented soul who was born in 1970. His love for acting was ever-present, and the start of his career in the industry came with '
Wizard Mureul
', a children's musical in the year 1994. After that, he went on to work in various small theatre plays and musicals, which helped him gain more experience in acting and performing in front of an audience.
Though he had been a part of the industry for years now, he had only managed to score supporting roles, which still left an impact on viewers. His breakthrough, however, only came recently when he was given the role of one of the leads in the hit Korean drama series 'Extreme Job'. It became a hit overnight and helped the actor rise to the fame that he had always deserved.
Other than that, his career kept on a high rise as he got roles in projects such as 'Narco-Saints', 'Hwarang', and 'Big Bet', to name a few. The actor is survived by his wife as well as his two daughters.
Song Young Kyu's DUI case and fall from fame
While the actor had been rising in numbers, a recent
DUI case
hit his career hard. On June 19 this year, the actor was found driving while under the influence of alcohol by the authorities. His alcohol level was at 0.08 at the time of the incident, which can result in license revocation. As per reports, it was also found that the actor had driven for almost 5 kilometres while drunk.
Following this revelation, the actor faced a lot of backlash and public scrutiny. After this, he was even dropped from his latest projects, 'The Defects' and 'Try' as well. He was also working in the stage production of the theatre show 'Shakespeare in Love', from which he stepped back on his following public criticism.
What happened?
As per The Korea Times reports on August 4, the actor was found unresponsive in his car by his acquaintances. They had then called the authorities and medical help, who had reached the scene and had declared that the actor was no more. The reason for his demise has not yet been revealed. He was found in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.
As of right now, nothing else has been revealed about the actor's case. The authorities had confirmed at the time that there was no note of suicide in the vehicle, and that initial investigation showed that no foul play had been involved in his sudden demise.
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