(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporters Lim Soon-hyun and Choi Joo-sung = Yoon Seok-hwa, an actor and ‘first-generation theater star’, passed away on the 19th while battling a brain tumor. She was 69 years old.
According to the theater community, Yoon Seok-hwa passed away at 9:54 AM at Shinchon Severance Hospital in Seoul, surrounded by family and close ones.
She was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor after performing in the play ‘Hamlet’ in July 2022 and had undergone surgery in October of the same year. After publicly disclosing her illness, her final stage appearance was a cameo in the play ‘Toccata’ at the LG Arts Center, Seoul, in 2023.
Born in Seoul in 1956, Yoon Seok-hwa debuted in the play ‘Sweet Taste’ in 1975. She gained popularity in the theater community with appearances in ‘Agnes of God,’ ‘Hamlet,’ and ‘Letters to My Daughter.’
She became the first star actress in the theater scene, establishing herself alongside predecessors Son Sook and Park Jeong-ja as a representative female actor in the field. She also appeared in a coffee commercial, popularizing the line, “I’m actually a gentle woman, too.”
Her iconic roles include playing jazz singer Melanie in ‘Letters to My Daughter’ (1992) and opera singer Maria Callas in ‘Master Class’ (1998). At the age of 60, she played Ophelia in ‘Hamlet’ in 2016.
Besides theater, she was active in various genres, including musicals such as ‘Guys and Dolls’ (1994) and ‘The Last Empress’ (1995), as well as the drama ‘The Miracle We Met’ (2018).
Apart from acting, she was involved in theater production and direction. She co-founded the experimental theater ‘Jeongmiso’ in Daehangno, Seoul, with architect Jang Yoon-kyu in 2002, introducing fresh performances to audiences until its closure in 2019 due to chronic financial difficulties.
She also directed the musical ‘Saturday Night Fever’, and ‘Top Hat’, which she helped produce, received the UK’s Laurence Olivier Award.
Additionally, she founded the comprehensive entertainment company Dolkot Company in 1995, produced the animated film ‘Hong Gil-dong 95’, and took over the struggling performing arts monthly ‘Gakseok’ in 1999, serving as the publisher.
The late actress adopted a son and daughter, regularly held charity concerts to promote adoption culture, and was a vocal advocate for the cause.
She was awarded the Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Actress four times, as well as the Dong-A Theatre Awards, Seoul Theatre Festival, and Lee Hae-rang Theatre Award. She received a presidential citation in 2005 and the Korea Arts and Culture Award in 2009 for theater and dance.
The funeral will take place at Shinchon Severance Hospital’s funeral hall. She is survived by her husband, former Chungang Comprehensive Finance CEO Kim Seok-ki, a son, and a daughter.