Veteran theater actor and producer Yoon Suk-hwa, widely regarded as a pioneer of modern Korean theater, passed away on Friday after a prolonged battle with a brain tumor. She was 69. The Korean Actors Association confirmed that Yoon died at 9:54 a.m. at Severance Hospital in Seoul, surrounded by family members and close acquaintances. Reports of her passing had circulated earlier in the day before the news was officially confirmed several hours later.
Yoon had been undergoing treatment since October 2022, when she underwent surgery for a malignant brain tumor. Earlier that year, she had returned to the stage as Ophelia in a production of Hamlet, demonstrating her enduring commitment to theater despite declining health.
After publicly revealing her illness, she made her final stage appearance in 2023 with a brief guest role in the play Toccata at the LG Arts Center in Seoul.
Gil Hae-yeon, chair of the Theater People Welfare Foundation of Korea, paid tribute to Yoon’s influence, calling her “a central pillar of Korea’s theater community.” She added that Yoon was ahead of her time in recognizing the importance of artists’ welfare and actively working to protect performers’ rights and expand support systems. “Her dedication will remain a lasting legacy in Korea’s performing arts community,” Gil said while offering condolences to the bereaved family.
Born in Seoul in 1956, Yoon made her stage debut in 1975 and quickly rose to prominence as part of Korea’s first generation of modern theater actors. She earned widespread acclaim for powerful performances in productions such as Agnes of God, Hamlet, and A Letter to My Daughter, and is credited with helping establish and popularize contemporary theater in Korea.
Her career extended beyond the stage into musical theater, television, and film. She appeared in musicals including Guys and Dolls and The Last Empress, and was known to TV audiences for roles in dramas such as KBS’ 2018 series The Miracle We Met.
In 2002, Yoon founded Theater Jungmiso in Daehangno, which became a hub for experimental works. Though the venue closed in 2019 due to financial difficulties, its productions remain influential. Yoon also worked as a director and producer, including on the U.K. production Top Hat, which won a Laurence Olivier Award.
She received numerous honors during her career, including four Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Actress, a Presidential Commendation in 2005, and the Korean Popular Culture and Arts Award in 2009.
Yoon is survived by her husband and two children. A longtime advocate for adoption, she adopted both her son and daughter and regularly organized charity concerts to support adoptive families, extending her legacy beyond the stage.
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