South Korean actor Song Young-kyu, known internationally for his memorable turn as Chief Choi in the 2019 box office hit “Extreme Job,” died on Monday. He was 55.
Song was found unresponsive inside a parked car in Cheoin-gu, Yongin, south of Seoul, around 8 a.m. local time, according to local authorities. Police confirmed there were no signs of foul play and no suicide note was found. An acquaintance discovered his body.
Song made his stage debut in 1994 in the children’s musical “Wizard Mureul” and built a steady three-decade career across theater, film and television. He was best known for supporting roles in projects including “Trick,” “Stove League,” “Baseball Girk” and “Hyena.” His appearance in “Extreme Job” — one of the highest-grossing films in Korean cinema – cemented his status as a reliable character actor with a knack for dry humor and gritty realism.
In June this year, Song was involved in a DUI incident in Yongin, reportedly driving five kilometers with a blood alcohol concentration high enough for license revocation under South Korean law. He was referred to prosecution without detention. In the aftermath, Song stepped down from the stage production of “Shakespeare in Love” and was removed or minimized in two dramas airing at the time – ENA’s “The Defects” and SBS’s “The Winning Try.”
Song’s gravitas and consistency made him a go-to supporting actor in the Korean entertainment industry. His performances often grounded large-scale productions with quiet authority, a presence that resonated with audiences even in ensemble-heavy works. His unexpected death adds another chapter to the ongoing conversation about mental health and media scrutiny in the South Korean entertainment landscape. Earlier this year, actor Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home.
Song is survived by his wife and two daughters.
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