"I invite you to my funeral." Veteran actress Park Jeong-ja informed her acquaintances of a special 'obituary.'

On the 13th, Park Jeong-ja sent an 'obituary' to about 150 close acquaintances. The obituary, titled 'Park Jeong-ja's final curtain call,' served as an invitation as Park directly invited her acquaintances to a virtual farewell performance.

He started the invitation by saying, "The time has come for me to sit on the stage and wait. With one foot on the ground and the other raised in the air, my shoes were dusty until just a moment ago, and I had a crumpled script in my pocket. Now, the dust will be taken by the wind and the script remains unopened. However, I do not turn the page."

He continued, "Today, I performed my last scene. The lights went out and the curtain fell; I exited. If there is a curtain beyond those clouds, by the time you see this obituary, I will slowly walk in to a place where silence speaks more than birds. Perhaps I will be directing and debating, adjusting the spotlight, and rehearsing there as well," reminiscing about his last moments.

Park Jeong-ja said, "And today, I invite you to my funeral at the age of eighty-three. Who decided that funerals should be solemn? Today is different. You must laugh instead of cry. My friend, you who have accompanied me for a long time. Flowers are not needed. Come with memories instead. My last voice you heard. The lines I liked. Old stories and light jokes. Bring the moments we laughed together. This is not a farewell but a rest, and not an end but an intermission. In the virtual farewell performance, think of me like a room without mirrors. My stage is not over even if it does not reflect a face." He added, "With love and applause, I present myself as an actress, Park Jeong-ja."

The sudden news of the 'obituary' raised feelings of shock as if it were a tragic report. However, Park Jeong-ja clarified this through a phone call with Yonhap News. Planning this special 'obituary' while acting in a funeral scene in the new film 'Between the Clear and Rain,' directed by junior actor Yoo Jun-sang, Park explained, "We came (to this world) to go (to the next world), and I hoped it would feel like a festival. So, I prepared it. After receiving the suggestion from Director Yoo, we got to make this film together. I wanted to show that living people should not feel unfamiliar with death and that such funerals are also possible during one's lifetime."

As a result, the last moments that Park Jeong-ja personally prepared are drawing attention. Debuting in the play 'Phedra' in 1962, Park established herself as a prominent figure in Korean theater. Not only her representative plays such as 'Equus,' 'Harold and Maude,' 'Waiting for Godot,' and 'Hamlet,' but also her presence was prominent in large-scale musicals like 'Billy Elliot' and 'Hero.' Recently, she starred in the blockbuster film 'The Burial,' leaving a strong impression and drawing attention.

[Photo] OSEN DB.

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