Throughout the 80s and 90s, South Korean actress Kang Soo-Yeon was often referred to as the “first world star”. During her career, she earned a number of awards and was acclaimed internationally. She was also a member of the Cannes Film Festival juries.
Acting career
During the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s, Kang Soo-Yeon was one of the most successful stars of South Korean cinema. She was often lauded for her performance in such movies as All That Falls has Wings, Three Stars, and The Surrogate Woman. Her filmography was also complemented by her roles on television shows such as Moon Hee and The Diary of a High School Student.
Kang’s acting career started at a young age. She made her movie debut in the 1977 family drama, Three Stars. Her most memorable performances occurred before the industrialization of the Korean film industry.
She received a variety of awards for her work on the screen. The most notable of these was the Volpi Cup for Best Actress, which she received at the 44th Venice International Film Festival. Besides winning the most prestigious award of its type, Kang was also the youngest female recipient of the accolade. This distinction made her an instant celebrity.
Aside from her illustrious acting career, Kang was also an active producer. She served as co-executive director of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) during the period from 2015 through 2017. She was the co-producer of the film Hanji and the producer of its sequel, Hanji X2. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, her input slowed considerably. She appeared in fewer films than she did during her younger years, and her TV appearances were a far cry from her big screen counterparts.
In the early 2010s, she made a return to the screen as an attorney in The Circle. In 2011, she reunited with filmmaker I’m Kwon-take for Hanji, a film based on true events. Aside from her movie and television credits, she was also the unofficial face of the Korean film industry. She was a popular and bankable star. She was also a highly sought-after director and a co-writer of several acclaimed films.
She also won the most prestigious award of its kind, the best actress award at the BIFF. She was also a well-regarded member of the jury for the Blue Dragon awards and the Baeksang Arts Awards.
TV appearances
Among the many Korean actors to have made TV appearances in the mid-2000s, Kang Soo-youn was one of the best. Known as a child actor on the KBS show Diary of a High School Student, she had a long career before a starring role in the film The Surrogate Womb (Im Kwon Taek, 1987) catapulted her into the spotlight.
She was the first Korean actor to win a major film festival award. She won the aforementioned Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the 44th Venice International Film Festival in 1987. She also won the Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Actress and the Chunsa Film Art Awards for Best Actress. A woman of many talents, she played various roles in pre-modern era films like Go Alone Like Musso’s Horn (1995) and The Road to Race Track (1991). She returned to TV in 2001, after a fifteen year hiatus, to appear in the hit series Moon Hee.
Besides her film roles, she served as co-director of the Busan International Film Festival in 2015 and 2017. Her most notable film contributions were a role in Im Sang Soo’s debut film Girl’s Night Out (1998) and a turn as an attorney in Hanbando (2006). She was also a member of the jury at the 5th Pusan International Film Festival in 2000. She starred in numerous box office hits in the 1990s, including Jang Sun-woo’s The Road to Race Track (1991) and O Byoung-chul’s Go Alone Like Musso’s horn (1995).
Kang Soo-youn had a very impressive filmography, which includes The Surrogate Womb, Diary of a High School Student and Girls’ Night Out. During her long career, she received a number of awards, including a Golden Palm for best actor at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006. She was also the first Korean actress to make a TV appearance in more than 15 years, in the SBS drama Ladies of the Palace (2002). Her acting accomplishments paved the way for a slew of other female stars to follow.
While Kang is likely to be remembered for her television and film roles, she will be missed by her fans for her many other contributions to the Korean film industry.
Venice International Film Festival award
During the 1980s, Kang Soo Youn became the face of Korean cinema, becoming one of the most successful stars in the industry. She appeared in a number of films and TV shows, including ‘Come Come Upward’ (1989), ‘Come to Me’ (1989), ‘Come to the Racetrack’ (1991) and ‘Return to Seoul’ (1996). She was also awarded the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice International Film Festival. She was also the first Korean actress to win an acting prize at two other major international festivals – Moscow International Film Festival and Nantes International Film Festival.
In the late 1980s, Kang Soo Youn made a name for herself as a teenage actor, appearing in a series of acclaimed movies and TV dramas. Her performance in ‘Come to the Racetrack’, as a young woman who dreams of becoming a racing driver, was particularly noteworthy. She was awarded the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her role in the film, and the film was a big hit in Korea.
The Korean Film Council has announced a special exhibition to honor Kang’s career in cinema. It will take place at the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, where a memorial altar will be set up. The event will also feature a live broadcast of Kang’s funeral on the Korean Film Council’s YouTube channel.
In addition to her acting, Kang Soo Youn was a director and producer. She worked with directors such as Park Kwangsoo, Jang Sun-woo, Lee Hyunseung, and Im Kwon-taek. She served as a director for short films such as “Roaring Currents” and a producer for the dramas “Hanji” and “Gone Home”. She was also a co-executive director of the Busan International Film Festival from 2015 to 2017.
In 2016, Kang became a co-director with the director Lee Yong-kwan. She starred in a number of television dramas in the 1990s, and she was set to return to the big screen with Netflix original drama ‘Jung-E’. Earlier this year, she was shooting scenes for the film. It is set to debut on Netflix later this year.
During the 1990s, Kang Soo Youn became an internationally-acclaimed actress, winning the best actress award at the Moscow International Film Festival and the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. She was also the first Korean to receive the Moscow International Film Festival’s prestigious Gold Volpi award.
Funeral
Known as a child actor, Kang Soo-yeon became an established star of the 1980s and 1990s, earning a reputation for being the first Korean actress to win an international acting award. In her film career, she won several awards, including the best actress award at the Venice Film Festival and the 1989 Moscow International Film Festival. During her career, Kang also starred in numerous popular films. She also served as co-director of the Busan International Film Festival.
Her funeral was attended by family, friends, and veteran actors. Kang’s coffin was carried by her mother, director Yeon Sang-ho. She died at a hospital in Gangnam, Seoul on Sunday afternoon. The funeral ceremony took place at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul. Mourners gathered early to pay their respects to the actress.
The South Korean President, Moon Jae-in, sent a floral wreath to the funeral. She expressed her sorrow for the loss of Kang. He also paid his condolences to the film community. After Kang’s passing, foreign filmmakers sent their condolence videos.
The South Korean film industry is mourning the death of Kang Soo-yeon. Several films featuring the actress were released this year. She was scheduled to make a return to the screen in Netflix’s upcoming sci-fi movie, JUNG_E. She recently shot scenes for the film. The film was to be released later this year.
The actor’s death came as a shock to many, including her fans. The actress had a long and distinguished career in the film industry. She won an award at the 1987 Venice Film Festival for her role in Im Kwon-taek’s The Surrogate Womb. She was also a prominent figure in the industry, fighting for domestic movie screenings. She had a high profile as co-chair of the Busan International Film Festival in the 2015-2017 period.
After her death, her friends and fans held a memorial service. The event was streamed live on the Korean Film Council YouTube channel. Her eulogy was delivered by director Im Kwon-taek. The director said he choked up as he spoke about the actress.
During her career, Kang Soo-yeon was known for her comedic performances. She starred in numerous movies, including Ladies of the Palace, Chorus of Doves, All That Falls Has Wings, and Three Stars.
