Yeo Woon Kye
Encyclopedia
Yeo Woon-kay was a South Korea
n film
actress and television personality. She was best known for Korean films such as Money’s Warfare, Bad Family and My Name is Kim Sam Soon.
Yeo began acting while in high school. She continued to act while attending Korea University
, where she studied literature
. She became known for her work in daehakgeuk, which is also called amateur student theater, during the 1950s and 1960s, alongside other contemporary Korean actors like Lee Soon-jae
.
She made her professional theater debut with a theater troupe in 1962. From theater, she was able to transition to a successful television career. She often played the role of a grandmother or "grandmotherly figure" in roles beginning in her twenties. Examples of these characters included her roles in Toji
in 1986 and Jewel in the Palace in 2003.
Ms.Yeo was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2007 while shooting the SBS movie The King and I
. But she continued to act and began work on the KBS2 production of Jang-hwa and Hong-ryeon (The Tale of Two Sisters)., eventually quitting the production due to pneumonia
, indicating the spread of cancer to her lungs.
Yeo entered the hospital intensive care unit
in May 2009. Reports say that she fell into a coma and was placed on life support
. She died around 8 P.M. on May 22, 2009, at the Incheon Catholic Medical Center in Incheon
, South Korea
, at the age of 69. Her funeral was held at the Yonsei University Severance Hospital.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
actress and television personality. She was best known for Korean films such as Money’s Warfare, Bad Family and My Name is Kim Sam Soon.
Yeo began acting while in high school. She continued to act while attending Korea University
Korea University
Korea University is a prestigious nonsectarian, private research university located primarily in Seoul, South Korea, and one of the SKY universities, a historical acronym used in South Korea to refer to Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University. Founded by Lee Yong-ik in...
, where she studied literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
. She became known for her work in daehakgeuk, which is also called amateur student theater, during the 1950s and 1960s, alongside other contemporary Korean actors like Lee Soon-jae
Lee Soon-jae
-Biography:Lee was born in Hoeryong, North Hamgyeong, now part of North Korea. When he was 4 years old, his family moved to Seoul where Lee's grandparents were living. Lee's grandfather ran a small real estate business, while his father produced and sold soaps. Lee was raised in the neighborhood of...
.
She made her professional theater debut with a theater troupe in 1962. From theater, she was able to transition to a successful television career. She often played the role of a grandmother or "grandmotherly figure" in roles beginning in her twenties. Examples of these characters included her roles in Toji
Toji
Tōji can refer to:* Tō-ji, a temple in Kyoto, Japan.* Dongzhi in pīnyīn is the 22nd solar term in the traditional East Asian calendar.* The job title of a Japanese sake brewer - Sake#Tōji....
in 1986 and Jewel in the Palace in 2003.
Ms.Yeo was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2007 while shooting the SBS movie The King and I
The King and I (TV series)
The King and I is a South Korean historical drama series that aired on SBS in 2007-2008. It began airing on August 27, 2007, and was moderately successful, having its ratings peak at 20%...
. But she continued to act and began work on the KBS2 production of Jang-hwa and Hong-ryeon (The Tale of Two Sisters)., eventually quitting the production due to pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, indicating the spread of cancer to her lungs.
Yeo entered the hospital intensive care unit
Intensive Care Unit
thumb|220px|ICU roomAn intensive-care unit , critical-care unit , intensive-therapy unit/intensive-treatment unit is a specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive-care medicine...
in May 2009. Reports say that she fell into a coma and was placed on life support
Life support
Life support, in medicine is a broad term that applies to any therapy used to sustain a patient's life while they are critically ill or injured. There are many therapies and techniques that may be used by clinicians to achieve the goal of sustaining life...
. She died around 8 P.M. on May 22, 2009, at the Incheon Catholic Medical Center in Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, at the age of 69. Her funeral was held at the Yonsei University Severance Hospital.