Kim Soo-mi, 1949 – 2024

South Korean TV and film actress Kim Soo-mi, 75, died of diabetes on Seoul on Oct. 25. She became famous in the 1980s TV series Country Diaries, and had a career revival after her comic role in Oh! Happy Day. Soo-mi was known mostly for her comic roles, and was nicknamed “the Queen of Ad-lib,” but she also had successes in such dramas as Barefoot Ki-bong and the romance Late Blossom, which won her won Best Supporting Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. Soo-mi is survived by her husband, actor Jeong Gyu-Su, and their son, businessman Chung Myung-ho. Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Yoo In-chon wrote, “Kim Soo-mi was a warm person who approached me like family. She inspired many younger actors.”