South Korean actor Song Young Kyu was sadly found dead in a car in a residential complex in Yongin, Gyeonggi province, at around 8 am KST on Monday, August 4. He was 55 years old, and celebrated for his numerous K-drama credits, including his performance in the 2019 film Extreme Job, according to his MyDramaList profile.
Yongin Dongbu Police Station in Gyeonggi province has since confirmed the unfortunate development after an acquaintance reported the incident. Song’s demise comes to light at a time when he was already embroiled in a DUI scandal.
Actor Song Young Kyu passes away: No suicide note found yet
While the case is still under investigation, police said that no signs of foul play were involved in his death. Officials didn’t find a suicide note at the scene either. Authorities will be questioning his family and those to close to him to understand the exact circumstances surrounding Song Young Kyu’s passing. It has yet to be decided whether an autopsy will be conducted.
A source further revealed how the drunk driving incident in June took a toll on the actor’s mental health. “He was distressed by the malicious articles and comments, and the circumstances were extremely unfavorable at that time,” they said, as quoted by Koreaboo.
K-drama actor’s DUI scandal
On June 19, Song was reportedly driving in a heavily intoxicated state around 11 pm KST from Giheung District to Cheoin District in Yongin City. Back then, a witness reported the incident to the police, saying, “It looks like someone is driving under the influence.”
Responding to the complaint, the police ID’d the actor’s car and arrested him. The breathalyser test conducted at the scene reportedly indicated Young Kyu’s blood alcohol content surpassed 0.08% (cause for driver license revocation). Subsequent reports suggested that Song had been drinking with his acquaintances, but still chose to drive himself home that day.
However, the DUI scandal’s news only broke out belatedly. Over a month after the incident, South Korean media pushed out reports of Song Young Kyu being transferred to the prosecution following drunk driving accusations. K-media outlet News1 shared at the time that the Yongin Dongbu Police Station had referred the K-drama star to the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office without detention.
Song Young Kyu K-dramas and movies
In light of the 55-year-old actor’s DUI incident making news a month after it happened, he subsequently stepped down from his role in the play “Shakespeare In Love.” Fans can catch his final performances in the 2025 K-dramas, The Winning Try and The Defects.
However, even these shows significantly edited out his scenes in the wake of the ongoing scandal. Coincidentally, the SBS sports drama The Winning Try commenced its broadcast on July 25, the same day contentious headlines about Song became public.
Prior to these credits, Song made guest appearances in Oh My Ghost Clients, The Haunted Place, Love Scout and The Tale of Lady Ok this year. His previous acting features were included in The Escape of the Seven: Resurrection, Destined With You, Big Bet (and its sequel), Narco-Saints, Tale of the Nine-Tailed, Hot Stove League, Partners for Justice and many more shows.
On the other hand, he’s also done his share of movie roles over the years. Some of these features include Baseball Girl, Extreme Job, A French Woman, Killing Talk, The Recon, 3.5th Period, Toxic, The Desperate Chase and Land of Happiness.
Born in April 1970, Song graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre from Seoul Arts Colleges, according to MyDramaList. He made his debut in 1994 through an animated show Taoist Meoteol. Additionally, he was a special professor in the Department of Acting Arts at Semyung University.
Rest in peace, actor Song Young Kyu.