It has already been a year since the father of Eternal Sung-Ae, actor Song Min-hyung, passed away.

The late Song Min-hyung died on April 3rd last year after battling gallbladder cancer, at the age of 70. According to family members, he underwent surgery for gallbladder cancer and passed away after a period of treatment.

Song Min-hyung was a first-generation child actor, who began his formal acting career after appearing in the popular sitcom 'LA Arirang' following his role in the 1966 KBS 'Children's Theater - Hobeuri Yeonggam.'

Song Min-hyung consistently continued his acting career with roles in dramas including 'Hong Gildong,' 'Baekya 3.98,' 'Jumong,' 'Hit,' 'Tae Wang Sa Shin Gi,' 'My Happy Home,' 'Drama King,' 'SKY Castle,' 'Dangerous Promise,' and 'Mr. Queen.'

In particular, Song Min-hyung portrayed the character Lee Gwi-hyun, the father of the protagonist Lee Young-ae, in the cable channel tvN drama 'My Name is Kim Sam-soon' Season 1, which premiered in April 2007, and received great love for over a decade during the series' run. As a result of this role, Song Min-hyung came to be known as 'the father of Young-ae.'

However, during his lifetime, Song Min-hyung faced difficulties, including battling liver cancer that relapsed four times and undergoing numerous rounds of chemotherapy. He appeared on the comprehensive programming channel MBN's 'Dongchimi' and said, "I suffered from liver cancer four times. I vomited everything that went into my mouth. It was liver cancer larger than 5 cm. The hospital urged me to undergo surgery quickly, but I endured it. At that time, I was in the middle of filming 'Jumong,' so I only received chemotherapy." He had four recurrences starting in 2012 and received a clean bill of health in 2022.

The news of Song Min-hyung's passing, who showed great passion for acting even while fighting against liver cancer, deeply saddened actress Kim Hyun-sook, who played the daughter Lee Young-ae in 'My Name is Kim Sam-soon.'

Kim Hyun-sook expressed her feelings about the news of Song Min-hyung's passing to OSEN, saying, "His departure was so sudden that it is hard to believe. When I arrived at the funeral home, I still could not believe it," adding, "Both my father and I, as early actors of 'My Name is Kim Sam-soon,' worked on this drama for about 13 years. It reminded me so much of my father, both in reality and in the drama. My heart was very heavy." Fans who loved the late Song Min-hyung's performances also expressed their regret and fondly remembered his works.

[OSEN]