The reason for the absence of active oldest actor Lee Soon-jae from the award ceremony was not health issues.
Born in 1935, Lee Soon-jae, who is now 89 years old and the oldest active actor, faced rumors about his health last October. At that time, Lee Soon-jae, who was actively participating in the KBS2 drama 'Barking', withdrew from the play 'Waiting for Godot' based on his doctor's recommendation that he needed a three-month rest due to health issues.
Given his age, Lee Soon-jae's health problems shocked everyone. Especially as it became known that he had actually been experiencing health issues during the filming of 'Barking', public support for his recovery has continued. Encouraged by this, Lee Soon-jae stood up again and attended the '2024 KBS Acting Awards', where he received the grand award.
Lee Soon-jae received the best couple award and the grand award at the '2024 KBS Acting Awards'. When he took the stage to receive the award, he needed assistance, which evoked sympathy. After receiving his first acting grand award, Lee Soon-jae remarked, 'Living long, there can be days like this' and added, 'I have relied on and received a lot of help from the viewers throughout my life. Thank you.'
After attending the '2024 KBS Acting Awards', Lee Soon-jae had not engaged in any notable activities. During this time, he received the actor category participant award at the 37th Korean PD Awards. The ceremony took place on the 9th and was broadcasted on KBS1 on the 15th.
Lee Soon-jae did not attend the award ceremony. His agency's representative, Lee Seung-hee, accepted the award on his behalf. After receiving the trophy, Lee Seung-hee said, 'The teacher was unable to attend because he is feeling a bit unwell. He expressed his gratitude to the Korean PD Awards officials and the judges. He is somewhat sick and needs a lot of encouragement and support. I would appreciate it if you could give him a shout of encouragement.'
Four months have passed since the '2024 KBS Acting Awards', but Lee Soon-jae had not engaged in any significant activities and missed the award ceremony, which could have led to renewed health concerns. However, according to OSEN's confirmation, Lee Soon-jae's absence from the ceremony was not due to health issues, but rather discomfort in mobility.
Lee Soon-jae's close associate told OSEN, 'His health has improved significantly. However, there is still some discomfort in his movements. Due to his age, he has lost strength in his legs, making it hard for him to move, and he prefers not to need support from others. Therefore, we proceeded with accepting the award on his behalf.'
Meanwhile, the 'PD of the Year' award at the 37th Korean PD Awards was received by Yoon Hyun-joon, PD of Studio Slam under SLL.
[OSEN]