The government has posthumously awarded the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit, the nation's highest cultural award, to veteran actor Lee Soon-jae, who died at age 91 on Tuesday.

The merit is granted to individuals who have contributed to further developing Korean culture and the arts, as well as to expanding public access to Korean culture.


Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young presented the award to Lee's family on behalf of the government.

“Appearing in more than 140 works, [Lee] was loved by audiences of all ages [from his appearances in] not only dramas but also in theater, variety shows and sitcoms, [and he was] known for both his sincerity [...] and his warm, human presence,” the government said in a press release on Tuesday. “Lee was also a cultural figure who fulfilled broader social responsibilities as a mentor and [...] lawmaker.”

Lee briefly entered politics in the 1990s, serving as a lawmaker for the conservative Democratic Liberal Party following the 14th general elections in 1992.

Lee made his stage debut with Eugene O’Neill’s “Beyond the Horizon” in 1956 and entered the broadcasting world in 1961 through KBS's television drama “I’ll Become a Man” (translated).

Lee cemented his popularity by appearing in Korea’s first daily television drama series, “It’s Snowing” (translated, 1964), followed by the country’s first televised crime series, “Detective’s Notebook” (translated, 1965-66). The actor later reached new levels of popularity in the late 1990s and 2000s through daily television dramas, including MBC’s “See and See Again” (1998-99) and “Hur Jun” (1999).

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