South Korean actor Song Young-Kyu dies at 55. He was found in a parked car in Cheoin-gu, Yongin, south of Seoul, on Monday..
He gained recognition for his role as Chief Choi in the movie Extreme Job (2019). His death occurred about two weeks after he faced a DUI incident in Yongin.
Authorities caught him driving under the influence, resulting in the revocation of his driver’s license according to South Korean law.
Prosecutors received Song Young-kyu’s case, but they did not detain him. South Korea treats DUIs with great seriousness.
Therefore, he stepped down from a stage production of Shakespeare in Love and from shows ENA’s The Defects and SBS’s The Winning Try.
Actor Song Young–kyu Dies At 55: The Actual Incident
Actor Song Young–kyu Dies At 55 on the morning of August 4, 2025. The police found Song Young-kyu unresponsive in a parked car.
Furthermore, this incident took place in a residential area of Cheoin-gu, Yongin, around 8 a.m. Wait! This is not all, there’s more t ot.
Moreover, an acquaintance discovered his body. Police stated there were no signs of foul play. Additionally, they didn’t find a suicide note at the scene.
They have started an investigation. Moreover, they are considering an autopsy while talking to his family to gather more information about his sudden death.
Song Young Kyu And The DUI Scandal
On June 19, 2025, Song Young-kyu faced a major controversy after the police caught him driving under the influence in Yongin.
Moreover, he lived nearby and drove about 5 km with a blood alcohol level over 0.08 percent. The police arrested him right away, and the authorities revoked his license.
The news broke in late July 2025. This led to a strong public backlash, and of course, the media influenced further speculation.
As I have mentioned many times before, in South Korea, people expect celebrities to behave well. Additionally, they take driving drunk as a very serious concern.
Because of the incident, Young-kyu stepped down from the stage production of Shakespeare in Love.
The production teams for his other two projects edited or reduced his scenes. In his ongoing dramas.
In ENA’s The Defects, where he plays Pastor Yoon Se-hoon, and SBS’s The Winning Try, where he plays rugby coach Kim Min-joong, the makers reportedly cut many of his scenes.
A close source said he was very upset about the DUI incident. Furthermore, he was taken aback by many negative reactions because of it.
Did Actor Song Young-kyo Commit Suicide?
The actor died on Monday, and there was no suicide note or signs of foul play, according to the Yonhap News Agency and police.
The police found Song Young-kyu dead in a car in Samga-dong in the city of Yongin-si. This city is in the province of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
Moreover, the Police said there are no murder charges at the scene, and they are looking into how the person died.
Song Young-kyu Movies And TV Shows
At the start of his career, Song debuted in the 1994 children’s musical Wizard Mureul. Over the next 30 years, he built a strong career in entertainment, appearing in over 40 TV dramas and many films.
I really loved his performance as Chief Choi in Extreme Job, one of the highest-grossing films in Korean cinema.
He starred alongside Ryu Seung-ryong, Jin Seon-kyu, and Lee Hanee. Additionally, Song Young-kyu also appeared in popular dramas like Hwarang.
In this drama, he acted alongside BTS’s V, playing Queen Jiso’s brother.
Other notable works include Hot Stove League and The Tale of Lady Ok. Son Young-kyu is also famous for Tale of the Nine Tailed, Destined With You, and Love Scout.
His performances consistently received praise. Moreover, even with limited screen time, he managed to capture the audience’s attention.
Who Is In Song Young-Kyu’s Family?
He had a wife and two daughters. His wife ran a cafe, but it was struggling because of the bad economy.
A source close to him said that Young-kyu chose to live apart from his family for some time. He was feeling stressed due to his work troubles. He, therefore, decided to isolate himself.
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