7th anniversary of the death of the late Kim Young-ae

Seven years have passed since the late Kim Young-ae passed away after battling pancreatic cancer.

The late Kim Young-ae passed away on April 9, 2017 after fighting pancreatic cancer. Age 66.

Kim Young-ae was declared fully cured after undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer in 2012 and appeared in films such as ‘The Attorney’ (directed by Yang Woo-suk), ‘Cart’ (directed by Boo Ji-young) and ‘Special Investigation: Letter from a Death Row Inmate’ (directed by Kwon Jong-gwan). Although he was struggling with illness while filming 'The Moon Embracing the Sun', he hid it until the end and finished filming, and it was also revealed that he underwent major surgery after the drama ended.

Although pancreatic cancer was diagnosed as cured, it later recurred, and 'The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop', which ended in February 2017, became Kim Young-ae's posthumous work. Even while fighting pancreatic cancer, he showed his fighting spirit.

After Kim Young-ae passed away, her agency at the time paid tribute, saying, "I still vividly remember what you said, 'I am happy because I can act until the end and without fear of death.'"

Next, the agency said, "I was so happy to be able to work with teacher Kim Young-ae, and the regret of not being able to spend more time with her remains as a longing. I hope you feel comfortable in a place without pain."

Kim Young-ae, who debuted as a talent in the 3rd round of MBC open recruitment in 1970, was greatly loved for her natural acting, and established a warm mother image by working as an Ottogi model for several years starting in 1986. In addition, Kim Young-ae achieved success with the red clay pack business in 2002 and took a break from acting for a while. However, the business failed due to the reporting of the reporting program in 2007, and due to the shock and stress, Kim Young-ae began receiving treatment for pancreatic cancer in 2012.

After he passed away, fellow actors Choi Kang-hee, Oh Hyun-kyung, and Ra Mi-ran said, “He was a great actor when he was alive. He expressed his longing, saying, “I had a great passion for acting.”

The remains of the deceased were placed at Bundang Memorial Park in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do.

Kim Se-ah, Ten Asia reporter haesmik@tenasia.co.kr