Jeong Dong-hwan Tears Up Receiving the Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit
Jeong Dong-hwan shed tears as he received the Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit. The '2025 Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards' were held on the 23rd at the National Theater of Korea in Jung-gu, Seoul, where Jeong Dong-hwan was awarded the Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit. After receiving the award, he said, "I sincerely thank everyone who called me back to the stage I love."
He added, "The stage is a place of fantasy, a place of dreams, where you can achieve anything you want." He continued, "I wandered in hell for 34 months, appearing in a work called Dante's 'Divine Comedy.' I played the role of Virgil, taking Dante through hell and purgatory."
"Now, they have called me to heaven, a place Virgil could not go. I feel like this place is heaven to me now," he expressed.
He further stated, "I received this award, but I think you all should receive it with me. I had no skill. I think the directors, the staff, and the audience who accepted me should receive this award." He did not forget to thank those he worked with.
He also said, "My friend, a comedian who used to do theater with me a long time ago, it breaks my heart that he is not here." He added, "In fact, on October 23, 1965, which is today, he stood on stage with me. But he left first, and I am left to receive this award," mentioning the late Jeon Yu-seong and shedding tears.
He shared, "I do a lot of long and boring plays. Works like 'The Brothers Karamazov' have a running time of seven and a half hours. There is someone who comes to encourage me every time I do such works without fail."
"It breaks my heart that he is not here. I think his health is not good right now. It's teacher Lee Soon-jae. I sincerely hope his condition recovers," he said, mentioning Lee Soon-jae, whose health concerns have recently surfaced.
His health condition was mentioned at a press conference for the play 'Waiting for Godot' on August 19. Actor Park Geun-hyung said, "I tried to visit him in the hospital several times, but he declined, so I couldn't see him in person. I heard from others that the situation didn't seem good."
However, Lee Soon-jae's side denied excessive deterioration of his condition, saying, "He is only focusing on rehabilitation because he has no strength in his legs, and there are no other health problems." He withdrew from the play last October and has been focusing on recovery. He later participated in the '2024 KBS Drama Awards.' Although he received the Grand Prize, he appeared with the support of other actors, causing much concern.
Source :https://blog.naver.com/tmrlahxhdbal/224053749590
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