Actor Song Young-kyu, known for roles in Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth, Extreme Job, and Tale of the Nine Tailed, was found dead near Seoul on Monday. Allkpop reported that the 55-year-old actor was discovered in a vehicle parked at a residential complex in Cheoin-gu, Yongin. A few weeks earlier, Young-kyu had made headlines due to a drunk driving incident.
According to officials at the Yongin Dongbu Police Station, authorities found Young-kyu at around 8 am on Monday after a woman alerted them. They are now investigating the cause of death.
The Korea Times stated that police found no signs of foul play and did not locate a suicide note.
Young-kyu’s recent DUI incident occurred in June when he was caught driving under the influence of alcohol. On the night of June 19, he allegedly drove from Giheung-gu to Cheoin-gu after drinking, with a reported blood alcohol level over .08%, which is enough for license revocation. Authorities sent him to prosecution without detention.
Following this incident, Young-kyu stepped down from the play Shakespeare in Love. The team behind The Defects, a project for which he had already completed filming, announced that they would “edit out as much of his appearance as possible.”
About Young-kyu’s career, he made his debut in a 1994 children’s musical and took on a supporting role in the hit action comedy Extreme Job. He starred in numerous films and shows, including Home Sweet Home (2010), The Virus (2013), Beyond the Clouds, A Hard Day, and Misaeng (2014), The Greatest Marriage (2014), Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth, Pandora (2016), Investigation Partners (2018), Tale of the Nine Tailed (2020), Narco-Saints, Big Bet, and Toxic (2022), Land of Happiness (2024), and Return to the Palace (2025), among many others.
