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Byun Hee-bong, veteran actor known for ‘The Host,’ dies at 81

Veteran actor Byeon Hee-bong [YONHAP]
Veteran actor Byeon Hee-bong [YONHAP]

Actor Byun Hee-bong has died aged 81 on Monday.

He had been suffering from pancreatic cancer, which had relapsed recently.

Born on June 8, 1942, in South Jeolla’s Jangseong County, Byun began his acting career on stage and debuted on-screen in 1966 as broadcaster MBC’s voice actor.

He subsequently starred in dozens of drama series, including “First Republic” (1981), “500 Years of Joseon Dynasty: Seol Jung Mae” (1984–85), “Dazzling Dawn” (1995) and “Hur Jun” (1999–2000).

He has also acted in three of director Bong Joon-ho’s films: “Barking Dogs Never Bite” (2000), “Memories of Murder” (2003) and “The Host” (2006).

Byeon received the Most Popular TV Actor award at the 1985 Baeksang Arts Awards and the Best Male Supporting Actor award at the 2006 Blue Dragon Film Awards.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]

The Korea Daily
The Korea Daily
Founded in 1974, The Korea Daily (미주중앙일보) is the largest Korean media outlet in the U.S., providing in-depth coverage of local, national, and international news with a strong focus on immigration, business, and the Korean-American community. While covering major cities across the U.S., including New York, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Chicago, San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, and Dallas, as well as Vancouver and Toronto, Canada, The Korea Daily primarily focuses on news in Los Angeles County and Orange County. Headquartered in Koreatown, Los Angeles, it serves as a key news source for Korean Americans in Southern California.