Government Posthumously Awards Gold Crown Cultural Medal to the Late Ahn Sung-ki... "A Symbolic Figure of Korean Cinema"

The government of the Republic of Korea posthumously awarded the Gold Crown Cultural Medal (1st class), the highest honor in the field of popular culture and arts, to the late 'national actor' Ahn Sung-ki, who passed away on the 5th. The state has shown the highest respect for the late actor, who dedicated 69 years to Korean cinema.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that Minister Choi Hwi-young would visit Ahn Sung-ki's mourning place set up at the funeral hall of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital in Seocho-gu, Seoul, around 6:30 PM that day to personally present the medal.

The Ministry explained the background of the award, stating, "Ahn Sung-ki is a true national actor who has shared his life with Korean cinema through his outstanding acting skills that transcend generations. He played a crucial role in expanding the social and cultural influence of Korean cinema as a symbolic figure who led the popular leap and industrial growth of Korean cinema from the 1990s to the 2000s."

Ahn Sung-ki had already received the Silver Crown Cultural Medal in 2013. At that time, he was recognized for his contributions to social welfare and the development of the cultural industry while serving as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF Korea, chair of the Good Downloader Campaign, and a member of the Cultural Prosperity Committee.

Ahn Sung-ki made his screen debut at the age of five in the film 〈Twilight Train〉 and became a living witness of Korean cinema, appearing in over 170 works during his long journey of 69 years. He received love from the entire nation through numerous masterpieces such as 〈Whale Hunting〉, 〈Two Cops〉, and 〈Silmi-do〉.

Ahn Sung-ki was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2019 and was declared cured after treatment, but the cancer recurred, leading to another difficult time. He collapsed at home on the 30th of last month after food blocked his airway and passed away at the age of 74 after failing to regain consciousness while receiving treatment.

Meanwhile, the government also posthumously awarded the Gold Crown Cultural Medal to veteran actors Lee Soon-jae and Kim Ji-mi, who passed away at the end of last year. In addition, Youn Yuh-jung received the Gold Crown Cultural Medal in 2021, and Lee Jung-jae in 2022.