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A portrait of the late actor Lee Soon-jae is displayed at his memorial altar, along with the Gold Crown Cultural Medal awarded posthumously by the government. / Joint Press Corps

Veteran actor Lee Soon-jae, long remembered as an “eternal working actor,” was laid to rest on Nov. 27, with family members and younger colleagues bidding him a tearful farewell.

The funeral was held that morning at Seoul Asan Medical Center in Songpa District, attended by his family as well as many colleagues and juniors in the entertainment industry.

Actor Jung Bo-seok, who worked with Lee on High Kick Through the Roof, served as the master of ceremonies. The eulogies were delivered by actors Ha Ji-won and Kim Young-chul — Ha having acted alongside Lee in MBC’s The King 2 Hearts, and Kim being both a junior from the TBC talent program and co-star with Lee in KBS2’s The Princess’ Man.

Jung honored the late actor as “a national treasure who helped carve out the history of performance in broadcasting and culture,” adding that there was hardly an actor who had not benefited from Lee’s guidance.

Kim Young-chul, fighting back tears, said, “If only this morning were another scene from a drama. After the director calls ‘cut,’ I keep imagining him standing up and saying, ‘Good work today, everyone.’” He added, “When I stood beside him, I never lost my way. A single look from him was enough to tell us we were doing well. I will miss him dearly.”

Ha Ji-won described Lee as “a true artist who was always humble before his craft,” recalling how he comforted her when she confessed her struggles with acting: “‘Kid, acting is still hard for me too,’ he would say. I will remember him forever. I love you — forever the president of your fan club.”

The 120-seat funeral hall was filled to capacity. After guests laid 91 flowers — matching his age — many continued to pay their respects, including former Culture Minister Yoo In-chon, actors Jung Dong-hwan and Jung Jun-ha, and students Lee had personally mentored. They stood in silent prayer before offering their final goodbyes.

Following the service, the cortege headed directly to Eden Paradise in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, the actor’s final resting place, without stopping at KBS, which had arranged a separate space for mourners.

Lee’s life was defined by constant work and reinvention. In 2006, he broke generational barriers with his bold character “Adult Video Soon-jae” in the sitcom High Kick. On the variety show Grandpas Over Flowers, his brisk pace earned him the nickname “Straight-Forward Soon-jae.”

In 2021, he delivered a widely praised performance in the play King Lear, flawlessly performing nearly 200 minutes of lines. He continued to challenge new territory by directing Chekhov’s The Seagull in 2023. Even shortly before stepping back due to health issues last year, he remained on stage and screen through the play Waiting for Waiting for Godot and the drama Dog Noise.

Lee also crossed into the public sphere, winning a National Assembly seat in 1992 as the representative for Jungnang-gap in Seoul. He served as an executive of the Korea–Japan Parliamentarians’ Union and most recently taught as a distinguished professor of acting at Gachon University.

Last year, he became the oldest recipient of the KBS Drama Awards’ Grand Prize. “I’ve received so much love from viewers my entire life,” he said in his acceptance speech, leaving a lasting impression.

The government posthumously awarded him the Gold Crown Cultural Medal on Nov. 25 in recognition of his lifelong contributions.