Why did the late Lee Soon-jae refuse to let go of his scripts even at the age of 90?
The upcoming May 12 episode of KBS 2TV’s ‘Celeb Soldier’s Secret’ will introduce the life of the ‘eternal active’ actor Lee Soon-jae, who guarded the stage until the very end. Previously unreleased behind-the-scenes stories from his battle with illness will also be revealed.
In January 2025, Lee Soon-jae won his first-ever KBS Acting Award, 70 years after his debut. Appearing thin on stage after a three-month hiatus due to failing health, he calmly began his acceptance speech by saying, “Living a long time brings days like this.” He eventually teared up while thanking everyone, saying, “I owe you so much.”
It turns out Lee Soon-jae fought a desperate battle during the filming of the KBS 2TV drama ‘Dog Sound,’ which earned him the Grand Prize. While he was more motivated than ever for his first lead role in a long time, it was hard to ignore his advanced age. After being diagnosed with cataracts and undergoing immediate surgery, he flatly rejected the production team’s suggestion to rest, stating, “I cannot cause trouble for the 70 to 80 staff members.”
According to an insider, when Lee Soon-jae returned to the camera after just 15 days, his vision was blurred and his hearing had declined, making it hard to hear sounds. To make matters worse, 70% of the filming took place in Geoje, meaning he had to endure long-distance travel every time. The episode will reveal his sheer determination as he completed the project by memorizing lines read aloud by his manager despite his severely impaired sight and hearing.
Guests Park So-dam, who starred in the play ‘Grandfather Henri and I’ with him, and Park Hae-mi, his ‘eternal daughter-in-law,’ will appear on the show to share special memories. Park So-dam, in particular, shares an anecdote about Lee Soon-jae’s incredible memorization skills witnessed during script readings. His juniors testify that he was an actor who arrived on set earlier than anyone else and rarely made any mistakes.
The secret wasn’t just natural talent, but lifelong, strict self-management. Lee Soon-jae actually trained his memory by memorizing lists of U.S. presidents and British prime ministers. Combined with his habit of avoiding alcohol and smoking, he maintained the stamina of an active actor. Meanwhile, MC Lee Chan-won, known for his love of drinks, jokingly remarks, “Well, at least I don’t smoke,” in the face of Lee Soon-jae’s strict discipline.
Specialist Lee Nak-jun explains, “The habit of repeatedly memorizing specific information actually helps maintain or increase the brain’s storage capacity.” He added that maintaining such memory would not have been easy without abstaining from alcohol and smoking. Lee Soon-jae’s strength to stand on stage for so long ultimately stemmed from thorough self-management and endless effort.
At 89, Lee Soon-jae’s final stage was the play ‘Waiting for Waiting for Godot.’ About two months after the performance began, Lee Soon-jae headed straight to the hospital immediately after the curtain fell one day and was diagnosed with pneumonia. As his hospitalization dragged on, a faint sound began to leak from his hospital room. Curiosity is growing over the identity of the sound that surprised everyone.
