Park So-dam appeared as a guest on the 56th episode of KBS 2TV’s ‘Celeb Soldier’s Secret’ on the 12th, featuring the late Lee Soon-jae. Lee Soon-jae, who passed away on November 25 last year marking his 70th anniversary since debut, left the entire nation in sorrow. In response, Park So-dam shared precious memories of working with him in the play ‘Grandfather Henri and I’.
As soon as archival footage of Lee Soon-jae’s voice played, Park So-dam’s eyes welled up. “My goal for today was not to cry,” she said, unable to hide her longing, adding, “It’s already getting dangerous.” She expressed her deep affection, stating, “I worked with Teacher Lee Soon-jae on a project where I learned so much energy, love, and courage, both as an actress and as a person.”
Park So-dam also shared a heartbreaking moment while watching a video of Lee Soon-jae receiving an ‘Acting Award’ in 2024. Seeing him look somewhat frail while delivering his speech, unlike his usual healthy self who always led the way, she confessed, “It was so hard for my heart because it was different from the energy I knew of the teacher.”
She also revealed a behind-the-scenes story about Lee Soon-jae’s legendary passion for acting. “During the first rehearsal, he had already memorized the lines for all the roles and told us, ‘Let’s try it while moving,'” she recalled, sharing an episode that left the other actors flustered.
Furthermore, she paid tribute to his thorough professionalism by sharing a story about how Lee Soon-jae, who was famous for never making mistakes, made a single slip-up during a performance and rushed to apologize to her, a junior with 14 years of experience, as soon as the show ended.
The memories continued. Park So-dam showed her affection, saying, “I didn’t have time to be nervous because I was talking with the teacher until one minute before entering the stage,” and “I wanted to press the stage bell even earlier because I wanted to see him so quickly.” She also vividly shared stories of his extraordinary stamina and sincerity, such as the time he arrived five hours earlier than the stage manager, before the theater doors even opened, and asked, “Why is the theater door locked?”
At the end of the broadcast, Park So-dam made a firm resolution to follow in Lee Soon-jae’s footsteps, moving beyond sadness and longing. “Listening to the teacher’s stories made me reflect on myself. I want to live more diligently so I can remain a junior like that,” she stated. She closed the program with a sincere tribute by reciting the ending narration of the play ‘Grandfather Henri and I’.
After showing her sincere side on the variety show, Park So-dam is now returning to her main job on the big screen. She is currently awaiting the release of her new movie ‘Gyeongju Trip’. The film is a family revenge drama about four mothers and daughters who embark on a “killing” trip after eight years of waiting for the youngest daughter, Gyeongju, who never returned from a school trip.
