South Korean Actor Ahn Sungki Dies at 74

Beloved South Korean actor Ahn Sungki, often called the nation's actor for his enduring presence in Korean cinema, died on January 5, 2026, in Seoul. He was 74.

Ahn passed away at Seoul's Soonchunhyang University Hospital after a prolonged battle with blood cancer, which he had been diagnosed with in 2019. His agency, Artist Company, confirmed the death in a statement, noting that Ahn had been hospitalized in an intensive care unit since collapsing at his home on December 30, 2025. Reports indicated the collapse followed an incident where he choked on food, leading to cardiac arrest, though the agency emphasized his long-term illness as the underlying factor. He remained unconscious for six days before his passing.

Ahn's career spanned nearly seven decades and more than 130 films, beginning as a child actor at age five in the 1957 drama The Twilight Train, directed by Kim Kiyoung. By his early teens, he had appeared in around 70 films, including notable works like The Housemaid in 1960. After a hiatus for education at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, where he studied Vietnamese and graduated with top honors, and mandatory military service, Ahn returned to acting in 1977....