Ahn Sung-ki, Veteran Korean Actor of ‘Silmido’ and ‘Radio Star,’ Dies at 74

Key Highlights

• Related Stories How Netflix Leveraged 'Stranger Things' Buzz to Boost 'The First Shadow' Ticket Sales on Broadway 'Stranger Things 5' Hits 34.5 Million Views After Volume 2 Drops, Helping Netflix to Its Best Christmas Viewership Ever Ahn entered the film industry as a child actor at age five, debuting in 1957’s “The Twilight Train.” He went on to appear in roughly 70 films as a child before stepping away from acting during his teenage years, AP reported.
• Popular on Variety After studying Vietnamese at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies – where he graduated with top honors – Ahn initially struggled to re-establish himself in the industry.
• He returned to acting in 1977, with his adult breakthrough coming in Lee Jang-ho’s “Good, Windy Days” (1980), a generational drama that earned him the Grand Bell Award for best new actor.
• Over the decades that followed, Ahn became a central presence in modern Korean cinema, known for performances marked by restraint, authority and emotional clarity.
• His filmography included roles in “Mandara,” “Whale Hunting,” “White Badge,” “Two Cops,” the blockbuster military drama “Silmido,” and the music-industry drama “Radio Star,” in which he played the devoted manager of an aging singer.