South Korean actor Song Young-kyu has died at age 53, according to reports from Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) and other Korean media outlets. Police confirmed his death on June 23, 2023, and stated there were no signs of foul play or a suicide note.
Young-kyu recently appeared in the Korean television dramas The Winning Try and The Defects. SBS released a statement expressing condolences and sympathy to his family. “We express our deepest condolences over the heartbreaking news and sincerely wish the deceased peace,” the network said in a statement. The production team for the Winning Try, a pre-produced drama, noted that minimal editing would be done to completed episodes. ENA, the network airing The Defects, confirmed the completed series would air without modifications.
The actor’s death comes after a June incident in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, where he was allegedly arrested for driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol content exceeding the legal limit for license revocation – specifically, reportedly 0.207%, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08%. the case had been forwarded to prosecutors and was awaiting indictment at the time of his death.Following the arrest, Young-kyu was removed from a stage production of Shakespeare in Love.
Born on November 11, 1970, in Seoul, South Korea, Song Young-kyu began his career in 1994 with a role in a children’s musical based on the animated series Wizard Mureul.He steadily built a three-decade career in theater,film,and television.He gained wider recognition for his supporting role in the 2019 comedy film extreme Job, which became one of the highest-grossing films in South Korean box office history, earning over 16.26 million admissions. He also appeared in the dramas The Greatest Marriage, Investigation Partners, and Hyena.
Young-kyu held a bachelor’s degree in theater from Seoul Arts College and, when not acting, served as a special professor in the Department of Acting Arts at Semyung University in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.Details regarding funeral arrangements have not yet been released.
