Yoon Seok-hwa, a first-generation theater star representing the South Korean theater world, has passed away at the age of 69 after battling a brain tumor.
According to the Korean Actors Association, Yoon Seok-hwa passed away on the 18th at around 9 PM, surrounded by her family. She had been battling a malignant brain tumor since undergoing surgery in October 2022 after performing in the play Hamlet in July of the same year. Her last stage appearance was a five-minute guest role in the play Toccata, held at the LG Arts Center in Seoul in 2023.
Born in Seoul in 1956, Yoon Seok-hwa made her debut in 1975 with the play Honey Taste. She starred in numerous hit productions, including Agnes of God, Hamlet, and Letters to My Daughter, leading the revival of the theater scene. Alongside Son Sook and Park Jeong-ja, she held a unique position as a representative female actor in Korean theater and became a true first theater star by gaining public recognition through her appearance in a coffee commercial.
Beyond acting, her artistic passion extended in all directions. In 2002, she opened a small theater called Jeongmiso in Daehangno, staging experimental plays, and dedicated herself to reviving the struggling performing arts magazine, Audience, as its publisher. She also directed the musical Saturday Night Fever and participated in the production of Top Hat, which won the Laurence Olivier Award in the UK, showcasing her talents on the global stage.
She was also active in social contribution activities. Having adopted a son and a daughter, she consistently held charity concerts to raise funds for adoption, leading efforts to improve adoption culture and change perceptions.
For her contributions, she won the Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Actress four times, as well as the Dong-A Theater Award, Seoul Theater Festival, and Lee Hae-rang Theater Award. In 2005, she received a presidential citation, and in 2009, she was awarded the Korea Culture and Arts Award, officially recognizing her contributions to the development of Korean culture and arts.
The funeral will be held at the Severance Hospital in Sinchon, Seoul, and she is survived by her husband, Kim Seok-ki, and her son and daughter.
