Seoul mourned the loss of Yoon Seok-hwa, a pioneering figure in South Korean theater, who passed away on the 19th at age 68 after a three-year battle with a malignant brain tumor. The celebrated actor, director, and producer was remembered not only for his artistic contributions but also for his decades of dedicated volunteer work.
A funeral ceremony was held at Severance Funeral Home in Sinchon, Seoul, at 8 a.m. on the 21st, attended by approximately 100 family members, friends, and colleagues. Pastor Choi Il-do of Dail Community, an organization known for its work with the homeless, officiated, recalling a moment from 35 years prior: “35 years ago, in a very cold winter, the deceased surprised me by appearing wearing an apron without anyone asking me to.” He continued, “Your stage was in front of the pot where you cooked rice, with your kind hands spreading rice to hungry brothers in low and low places, not only in Cheongnyangni but also in Tanzania and Nepal.”
Park Sang-won, chairman of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, who also volunteered with Dail Community, struggled to speak through tears, saying, “The ‘late Yoon Seok-hwa farewell service to heaven’… it’s so theatrical that I can’t believe it.” Kim Seok-gi, the deceased’s husband, shared his grief, stating, “I knew this day would come because I had been fighting the disease for over three years, but I still feel regret and regret.”
Acquaintances are mourning at the performance of the late actor Yoon Seok-hwa’s performance held at the installation theater Jeongmiso (currently Hanye Theater) in Daehakro, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 21st. News 1
Yoon Seok-hwa served as a public relations ambassador for Dail Community since 1993, consistently volunteering at the Cheongnyangni soup kitchen, organizing street Christmas services, and hosting birthday celebrations for seniors living alone. Since 2014, he extended his charitable efforts to support hungry children in Tanzania and improve educational resources. A Dail Community official emphasized that Yoon Seok-hwa was “not a public relations ambassador who only lent his name.” The organization recently won an appeal against the Dongdaemun District Office regarding the demolition of the soup kitchen, a matter that had caused the actor considerable anxiety, and he learned of the victory just before his passing.
Having adopted two children, a son and a daughter, Yoon Seok-hwa frequently organized charity concerts to benefit adoption agencies and empower single mothers. Even while battling brain cancer last year, he demonstrated his commitment to children he sponsored from overseas slums by inviting them to Korea for a visit.
Artists Pay Tribute with Applause as a Life’s Work Concludes
At 10 a.m. on the 21st, a memorial service was held in the yard of the Daehakro Hanye Theater, celebrating Yoon Seok-hwa’s artistic legacy. Despite the frigid temperatures, around 100 people attended, including actors Park Jeong-ja and Son Sook, and former Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoo In-chon, many visibly moved. The location, once ‘Installation Space Jeongmiso,’ was the small theater Yoon Seok-hwa founded and nurtured as an actor, director, and producer. It also housed the offices of ‘Audience,’ a performance magazine he acquired and published.
Actress Gil Hae-yeon, chairman of the Korea Activist Welfare Foundation, delivered a eulogy, recalling Yoon Seok-hwa’s belief that “Theater is an art that gives answers that cannot be answered,” and his hope that these questions would continue to resonate. She mourned the loss of “an actor who lived a more passionate acting life than anyone else with a passion for the stage, and a great artist who led the performing arts world of an era.”
Younger musical actors are singing the deceased’s favorite song ‘In the Flower Garden’ at actor Yoon Seok-hwa’s funeral held in front of the Hanye Theater in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 21st. Yonhap News
Junior actors, including Choi Jeong-won, Bae Hae-seon, and Park Geon-hyung—who appeared in the 2003 musical ‘Saturday Night Fever’ produced by Yoon Seok-hwa—performed his favorite song, ‘In the Flower Garden.’ After their performance, they looked to the sky and said, “Goodbye, teacher.” Following a suggestion from Chairman Gil, the approximately 100 attendees applauded vigorously as the hearse departed. The younger actors touched the hearse in a final gesture of respect. Yoon Seok-hwa’s final journey concluded with his interment at Honor Stone in Yongin Park.
Born in Seoul in 1956, Yoon Seok-hwa debuted in the People’s Theater Company’s play ‘Honey Taste’ in 1975, leaving an indelible mark on the performing arts. In 1983, his personally translated and starring role in ‘Agnes of God’ became legendary for its record-breaking run and attendance of 100,000 viewers. He established himself as the definitive portrayal of Empress Myeongseong at the 1995 premiere of the original musical of the same name.
Yoon Seok-hwa passed away at Sinchon Severance Hospital in Seoul at 9:54 a.m. on the 19th, after being diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 2022 and undergoing treatment.
