[HanCinema's News] Im Kwon-taek Talks About the Departed Kang Soo-yeon

This past May 7th, movie star Kang Soo-yeon died from a cerebral hemorrhage. Her funeral service was livestreamed this past May 11th. But on May 15th, a TV Chosun news documentary program provided a more polished presentation. In the curated footage director Im Kwon-taek, the legendary director who worked with Kang Soo-yeon on such films as "The Surrogate Woman" in 1986, gives a rousing eulogy for the talented actress.

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Im Kwon-taek remarked that his first impression of Kang Soo-yeon came from some barely remembered television broadcast. The director stated that he thought she was quite well cast for her role. Im Kwon-taek remarked that while Kang Soo-yeon had a pretty face, what really allowed her performance to come off was her brash confidence, which gave a strong sense of personal energy that allowed her acting to truly resonate.

Im Kwon-taek also described Kang Soo-yeon as a fast learner in regards to "The Surrogate Woman" which excellently complimented her as the title character who moves into a livelihood which defies her expectations. In a morbid moment, Im Kwon-taek noted that due to his own age, he too, will also likely die soon. He expressed disappointment that she died first, as he he had expected her to be a major guest at his own funeral. Im Kwon-taek described the order of events as topsy-turvy.

The reference was to Kang Soo-yeon's relatively young age of fifty-five, to his own eighty-six. Im Kwon-taek stated that he thought she still had a lot to live for. While in recent years Kang Soo-yeon had been involved in film more on the distribution side, she had also recently starred in the as-yet unreleased Netflix film "Jung E" which will now be her final role. Im Kwon-taek said that Kang Soo-yeon really changed him, and had a profound influence on his life.

Moon Hee, Kim Bo-yeon, Lee Jung-gil, Woon Goon-il, and Kim Dong-ho were among the many colleagues Kang Soo-yeon worked with over the years who had kind words to say about her career over the footage. Younger actors such as Yoo Ji-tae, Jung Woong-in, Uhm Jung-hwa, Jung Woo-sung, Jung Yu-mi, Yoo Hae-jin, Lee Byung-hun, Kim Ah-joong, and Moon So-ri are also seen at the funeral itself. It is clear that Kang Soo-yeon's absence will be sorely felt by her colleagues for years to come.

Written by William Schwartz