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Yoon Seok-hwa, Defining Star of Korean Theater, Dies at 69

Her career spanned marquee roles, institutional leadership, public advocacy.

Overview

  • Yoon died at 9:54 a.m. at Severance Hospital in Seoul’s Sinchon district, with family and close acquaintances present.
  • She had been treated for a malignant brain tumor and underwent surgery in October 2022 after performing in Hamlet that July.
  • Her final public appearance was a five-minute cameo in the play Toccata in August 2023.
  • Across five decades she headlined Agnes of God, Letters to My Daughter and Hamlet, and appeared in musicals including The Last Empress and Guys and Dolls.
  • She earned four Baeksang Best Actress awards and the 2009 Korean Culture and Arts Award, co-founded the Jeongmiso Theater, led Dolkkot Company, published the magazine Gaekseok, and advocated adoption after adopting a son and daughter; she is survived by her husband and two children.