[WORD_ON_THE_WEB] 'She'll be remembered forever'

Actor Kang Soo-yeon passed away on Saturday. She was 55 years old.

Actor Kang Soo-yeon passed away on Saturday. She was 55 years old.

Ambulances were called to her home after she suffered a cardiac arrest.

Kang debuted as a child actor at the young age of four and has worked in Korean cinema for over 50 years.

She received the award for Best Actress at the Venice International Film Festival for her role in Im Kwon-taek’s “The Surrogate Womb” when she was 21, becoming the first Korean actor to receive the accolade.

She was also active in her role as a cultural administrator for the progress of Korean cinema.

She strived to protect Korean movies from outside pressure. She was a leading figure among local actors who protested the government's screen quota legislation reform in the early 2000s. The reform was intended at reducing the screen time blocked out for Korean movies, raising concerns foreign blockbuster movies would flood local theaters.

Kang was also a co-executive director for the Busan International Film Festival in 2015.

She was scheduled to return to the silver screen for the first time in nine years, appearing in “JUNG_E”, a Netflix original directed by Yeon Sang-ho.

“JUNG_E”, now Kang’s last film, is currently in post-production.

Kang’s funeral will be held on Wednesday morning and will be broadcast live on the Korean Film Council’s YouTube channel.

#wish_she_had_returned “I loved her so much... I was waiting for her return to the screens with the movie that is coming out soon...” “She was my favorite actor, I looked up to her very much. I’m heartbroken. May she rest in peace.” “She was an actress I loved. I was sad as I would be if one of my own family members died...”

#never_be_forgotten “She was a beautiful actress with great talent. She'll be remembered forever.” “She could be an unfamiliar face to the youth nowadays, but she was a truly great actor who led an era. May she rest in peace where there’s no more pain.”

#her_legacy_lives_on “I’m sad that she left so suddenly, at such a young age... I’m thankful to her for the fond memories she gave me with her sublime beauty and great acting. I hope she rests in peace.” “She returned to the stars with a legacy of her own, ‘We don’t have money but that doesn’t mean we don’t have style.’ I hope she rests in peace.”

BY LEE SI-YEOUNG, YOO JI-WOO [yoo.jiwoo@joongang.co.kr]