Veteran Korean actress Lee Joo-shil has passed away at the age of 81 following her short-lived battle with stomach cancer.
Lee's death was confirmed by her agency 1230culture and local Korean media. She died at her family home in Uijeongbu, South Korea, and the funeral service is scheduled to take place this February 5. at Sinchon Severance Hospital.
Lee Joo-shil's Long-Celebrated Career
Lee had a long-celebrated career that spanned more than five decades. She started as a stage actress before transitioning to on-screen work.
Earlier in her theater career, she starred in local productions of Death of a Salesman and Macbeth, for which she received acclaim from the critics and the audience.
She made her most recent appearance in the second season of Squid Game. She played the role of Park Mal-soon, the mother of Hwang Jun-ho and Hwang In-ho/Front Man.
She also starred in the hit K-drama series The Uncanny Counter as Jang Choon Ok, So Moon's grandmother. She played Seok-woo's mother in the hit zombie film Train to Busan.
The veteran actress was previously diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer 30 years ago, but she was able to overcome it despite the one-year prognosis that was given to her at that time.
Lee's passing was mourned by her colleagues in the Korean entertainment industry.
Is Lee Joo-shil Set to Make a Posthumous Appearance in Squid Game Season 3?
There are no details yet on whether Lee is set to make her posthumous appearance in the upcoming third season of Squid Game.
Netflix recently confirmed that the hit show's third and final season will premiere this June 27.
Considering that the second and third seasons were filmed back-to-back, there is a possibility that Lee may have already shot her scenes (if she shows up in the upcoming season) prior to her passing.
So far, Netflix has not released a statement on Lee's potential appearance in the upcoming third season in the aftermath of her passing.
What is your favorite performance from Lee? Let us know in the comments!
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