Late actor Ahn Sung-ki's son Ahn Da-bin relayed his gratitude for all the loving messages mourning his father as the funeral for one of Korea's most iconic actors continues into the second day.

“Thank you sincerely for the warm condolences,” he wrote in a short message on social media on Monday. Ahn Da-bin, who is based in the United States and works as a painter and installation artist, reportedly rushed to Korea after learning that his father had been taken to the hospital on Dec. 30, 2025.


Ahn Sung-ki died on Monday. He had collapsed at home after choking on food and was transported to a hospital. Though he received treatment in the intensive care unit, he never regained consciousness and died six days later. The late actor had previously expressed his determination to continue working despite being diagnosed with blood cancer in 2019.

Ahn Da-bin posted images from a photo book for the 1993 film “To the Starry Island” on social media on Sunday, when his father was in critical condition. Both Ahns are featured in the film, with the older Ahn starring as the protagonist and the younger one appearing as a child actor in a minor role.

A steady stream of colleagues, juniors and prominent figures from both within and outside the industry paid their respects on Monday, gathering to say farewell to one of the nation’s most beloved actors, who spent a lifetime on screen.

Actor Park Sang-won was among the first mourners to arrive at the funeral hall in Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital in southern Seoul. “Ahn, loved by audiences and filmmakers alike, has finished his long journey and gone to his eternal rest,” Park said. “It is heartbreaking, but I believe he is continuing to act in peace in heaven.”

Legendary singer Cho Yong-pil, who had shared a bond with Ahn Sung-ki since their middle school days, struggled to hide his grief. “He was a very close friend that I’d been with since childhood,” Cho said. “I heard he had been hospitalized and then discharged, so I thought he was recovering. It’s heartbreaking that he left us so suddenly.”

Cho added that although he was in the middle of a tour and feeling unwell, he could not remain where he was after hearing the news. “We were in the same class, where we sat next to each other, and went everywhere together,” he said, recalling their school days. “Whenever we met, we teased each other, not as an actor and a singer but as friends.”

Actors Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung also visited the funeral hall early to offer their condolences to the bereaved family.

The funeral procession will take place on Friday morning, after which Ahn Sung-ki will be buried in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi. Actors, including Lee and Jung, are expected to serve as pallbearers on his final journey.

Ahn Sung-ki, born in 1950, made his debut at just five years old in Kim Ki-young’s 1957 film “Twilight Train” and went on to star in many of Korea’s most iconic films, such as “Whale Hunting” (1984), “Two Cops” (1993), “The Taebaek Mountains” (1994), “Chihwaseon” (2002) and “Silmido” (2003).

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]