Korean actress Kang Soo-youn, who was set to return to film later this year after a decade-long absence, dies at age 55
By BRIAN MARKS FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 01:34 AEST, 8 May 2022 | UPDATED: 01:59 AEST, 8 May 2022
The acclaimed South Korean actress Kang Soo-youn died Saturday at age 55 after suffering a medical emergency at home.
The screen star was discovered in a state of cardiac arrest at home on Thursday, and she died two days later at a nearby hospital, according to Soompi.
Kang, who amassed a string of major acting prizes at prestigious international film festivals in the 1980s, was set to return to acting in films later this year with the release of the Netflix film Jung_E.
Gone before her comeback: The acclaimed South Korean actress Kang Soo-youn died Saturday at age 55 after suffering a medical emergency at home, according to Soompi; seen in October in Gangneung, South Korea
According to the outlet, Kang was found unresponsive around 5 p.m. local time in Apgujeong, Gangnam, Seoul.
CPR was administered, and she was then taken to a nearby hospital, but the actress reportedly didn't not regain consciousness.
She died Saturday afternoon while surrounded by family members.
A funeral has reportedly been scheduled for May 11.
Tragic: Kang was found unresponsive at home on Thursday. CPR was administered and she was taken to a hospital, but she never regained consciousness and died Saturday afternoon; seen in 2016 in Busan, South Korea
Kang was set to make her big comeback with the South Korean science fiction film Jung_E, which hasn't yet received a release date but is expected to debut on Netflix later this year.
The movie takes place in a dystopian future in which the Earth has become uninhabitable while a small group of survivors live in shelters.
Kang stars as a scientist tasked with creating a robotic replica of a legendary mercenary that features a cloned version of her brain.
The star, who was born in 1966, rose to fame in her native country with a string of popular film roles in the 1980s.
As the decade progressed, she became a success on the international film festival circuit. Kang won best actress at the Venice International Film Festival for her role in the 1986 film The Surrogate Woman, making her the first Korean woman to win a major film festival award.
One last time: Kang was set to make her big comeback with the South Korean science fiction film Jung_E, which hasn't yet received a release date but is expected to debut on Netflix later this year; seen with Darren Aronofsky in 2017 in Busan, South Korea
She also took home best actress at the Moscow International Film Festival for her 1989 film Come Come Come Upward.
However, Kang's roles became less frequent starting in the 2000s, and she mostly said out the past decade.
Her last project prior to Jung_E was the 2013 short film Juri.