Yoon Suk-hwa, a trailblazing force in Korea’s theater scene, has died. She was 69.
According to the theater community, Yoon passed away at 9:54 a.m. on Dec. 19 at Sinchon Severance Hospital in Seoul, with family and close colleagues by her side.
Diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2022, she underwent surgery that October. Even after sharing her diagnosis, Yoon returned to the stage, making a five-minute cameo in the 2023 play "Toccata" ― a brief but poignant final curtain call.
A first-generation star actor and director in Korean theater, Yoon was born in Seoul in 1956 and made her stage debut in 1975 with "Honey Taste." Over nearly five decades, she built a formidable resume that included "Agnes of God," "Hamlet" and "A Letter to My Daughter."
Her range extended well beyond straight plays. In 1995, she originated the title role in the homegrown musical "Empress Myeongseong," delivering blazing charisma and emotional depth. The production became the first original Korean/Asian musical to play on Broadway, ultimately logging more than 1,300 performances and drawing over two million attendees.
In the 2000s, Yoon leaned further into musicals, helping drive hits like "Nunsense" (2001) and "42nd Street" (2004). She also stepped behind the scenes to direct "Saturday Night Fever," earning the Korea Musical Awards’ directing prize that year.
On screen, her credits included the film "Spring, Snow" (2011); SBS’ "The Penthouse: War in Life" (2021); and the Netflix series "Remarriage & Desires" (2022).
Yoon’s mantle was crowded with honors: four Baeksang Arts Awards for acting, along with the Dong-A Theater Awards, the Seoul Theater Festival and the Lee Hae-rang Theater Award. She also received a Presidential Commendation in 2005 and the Korea Culture and Arts Award in 2009 for theater and dance.
Beyond performing and directing, she championed Korea’s live-arts ecosystem. In 1999, she acquired the monthly performing-arts magazine Auditorium and served as its publisher, and in 2002 she founded Jungmiso, a beloved small theater in Seoul’s Daehangno district, running it for 17 years.
A wake will be held at the funeral hall of Sinchon Severance Hospital. She is survived by her husband, Kim Seok-ki, and two children, a son and a daughter.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)