“안성기… Remembered… Revered… “Revivre”…”
It’s January 5th, 2026.
With all the craziness in the world these days, it’s always heartening to return to my thoughts and love for Korean cinema… After all, at least a decade and a half ago I started to follow-up on that newfound fondness for films by great Korean filmmakers – directors, actors and those others involved in the process.
These days, my love for that Korean cinema period from those days of discovery, and for the older films I was finding reappears momentarily when I glimpse a clip or title of the films, artists, themes which ‘changed me’ and those moments now come at me from closer to the Korean land than before. You see, much of the time these days, my life is spent in the city of Chiang Mai (known for so much already, but perhaps increasingly for the amount of Koreans who like to call this city home… temporarily or permanently).
What this means is that, being only ‘2 hours difference’ from Korea or the KOREAS, I get to hear about major news stories well before friends in my homeland of the United Kingdom.
On this January day, I’m sipping my coffee whilst reading the very sad news about the loss of a cinema icon, Ahn Sung-ki.
Yes, born on New Year’s Day in January 1952, and now having just left this life, the world, this Asia continent and of course the arts on this day of January 5th 2026, it’s really hard to believe that Mr Ahn Sung-ki was only 74 and therefore didn’t even live to see his 75th birthday, given the very full life he did lead… and the 100+ films starred in during his career of over 60 years. For the amount of films Ahn Sung-ki has appeared in, you’d probably think he was even older than that.
Ahn Sung-ki did not only lead (and live) a full life, he ‘played the lead’ in oh so many Korean movies, and let’s face it, so many of these are thought of as classics.
I remember fondly that time I interviewed him in London more than a decade ago, and of course requested that I capture the moment forever, by way of a photograph of the two of us.
[That group interview: https://miniminimovie.com/2014/11/20/ahn-sung-ki-interview-mangala/ ]
Disheartened or distraught today by this truly sad news – whilst heartened by the love, the gift, the ability and honesty Mr Ahn Sung-ki brought to us and his roles – this all made me want to seek out those films of his I’ve seen and of course the many I still have yet to witness. I shall make this one of my priorities over the coming weeks, months etc.
It’s also a strange coincidence perhaps – at least to this writer, journalist and fellow filmmaker myself – that only two months ago I was revisiting Daegu, because it’s also the birthplace of our Sung-ki… that certain Mr Ahn. So… next time I record any episode concerning Daegu (like this one) I’ll be sure to include some reference to Ahn Sung-ki and maybe, just maybe, when I return to Daegu for a 3rd visit I’ll seek out more relating to him & his family… perhaps even a memorial statue will be there by then…
Daegu in 1952, much like elsewhere in South Korea would have been a much different place back then. It feels such a long time ago.
Known by many as “The Nation’s Actor”, perhaps it was no real surprise that he would not only get this label but also that he would go into acting in the first place. After all, his father, Ahn Hwa-young was also in that filmmaking arena.
Debuting as a child actor in 1957, just a handful of years after his birth, Ahn Sung-ki went on to feature in more than 130 films and such acting would span over 6 decades and it would be this, combined with his finely tuned acting skills that would make him a highly revered figure in Korean cinema.
It’s perhaps fitting that more than one of the photos in this very article relate to the film he was in London with in that November of 2014… Its name is “Revivre” – and so, let’s bring the essence of that word to life and remember Mr Ahn.
This little article is for you, Ahn Sung-ki.
Lastly, a few links from this MiniMiniMovie website which touch on Ahn Sung-ki and a film or two, plus one from The Cinema Exchange – I thought I’d include the latter as Timothy Holm (my sometimes co-host of our Not So Korean Podcast) has written a nice little obituary for Ahn Sung-ki:
https://thecinemaexchange.godaddysites.com/f/in-memoriam-ahn-sung-ki-1952%E2%80%932026
Ahn Sung-ki (Interview) – “ManGala 2”: A Century of HIS Cinema / #LKFF2019
VILLAGE IN THE MIST (Angae maeul / 안개 마을) – Village Idiot In The Midst Of It All
LONDON KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL 2014 REVIEW – PART 4 (& ‘interviews’)
