Actor Lee Yong-joo has died at the age 44.
South Korean media reported on Saturday (Aug 29) that his death was announced through social media by a friend.
They wrote: “Even as I write this, I still cannot believe it. Actor Lee Yong-joo, who brought laughter to many as the clumsy yet lovable new recruit Lee Yong-joo in Blue Tower (2013), passed away suddenly from cardiac arrest this morning.”
He had previously been exempted from military service due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is an inherited genetic heart disease where the heart muscles thicken abnormally.
Yong-joo revealed his condition during a press conference for Blue Tower in 2013 and explained in a separate interview that his mother was hospitalised with the same disease and he was diagnosed after undergoing a medical checkup with the advice of her doctor.
Yong-joo began his career as a model and made his acting debut in film An Jung-geun’s Altar in 2004. He is best known for his performance as Crown Prince Lee Shin’s high school buddy Jang-kyung in rom-com drama Princess Hours (2006).
Over the years, he had also appeared in drama series including Unstoppable Marriage (2007), Ugly Miss Young Ae (2009 – 2010), Divorce Lawyer in Love (2015) and New Recruit (2022).
In an interview in 2020, he also revealed he closed his travel agency due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Yong-joo’s wake has been set up at Bundang Jesaeng Hospital’s funeral hall and the funeral procession will take place in the morning on Aug 31.
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