‘Princess Hours’ actor Lee Yong Joo passes away at 44

• Lee Yong Joo passed away at 44 on August 29 after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest
• A close friend confirmed the sad news through social media and asked people to remember the actor warmly
• His wake was held at Bundang Jesaeng Hospital, while the funeral procession was set for August 31
• Known for his roles in Princess Hours and Blue Tower, the former model built a screen career that lasted nearly two decades

Lee Yong Joo passed away at the age of 44 on Saturday, August 29, after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest.

The sad news was first announced by one of his close friends through social media. It was later reported by Korean media and shared in a post by Koreanophiles.

“Even as I write this, I still cannot believe it,” the friend wrote, according to AsiaOne.

The friend remembered the actor for bringing laughter to many viewers through his role as a lovable and clumsy recruit in the military sitcom Blue Tower.

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People were also asked to keep him in their thoughts and pray for him as he made his final journey.

The actor’s wake was held in Room 5 of the funeral hall at Bundang Jesaeng Hospital in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.

His funeral procession was scheduled for 6:30 a.m. on August 31. The Seongnam Funeral Culture Center was listed as the destination, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Lee started in the entertainment industry as a model before moving into acting. He began his screen career with a supporting role in the 2004 film Doma Ahn Jung-geun.

He later appeared in the MBC sitcom Hello, Francesca. The project became one of his early television roles and helped introduce him to a wider audience.

Filipino K-drama fans may remember the actor from Princess Hours, the popular 2006 romantic comedy series. He played Jang-kyung, one of Crown Prince Lee Shin’s high school friends.

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The celebrity also joined several other television productions over the years. His credits included Unstoppable Marriage, Ugly Miss Young Ae, Divorce Lawyer in Love, Golden Tower, and Bad Detective.

His most recognized role came in Blue Tower in 2013. The military comedy featured him as a naive new recruit who often found himself in funny situations.

The performance became a defining part of his career. It earned him affection from viewers and made the character closely associated with him.

In a 2013 interview, the actor disclosed that he had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and received a military service exemption because of the condition. Reports about his death, however, did not establish whether it was directly connected to the reported cardiac arrest.

He later returned to military-themed comedy through New Recruit in 2022. The series was widely reported as his final screen appearance.

Through his television and film work, the actor left behind performances remembered by viewers in South Korea and beyond.

In a previous report by KAMI, Jung Eun-woo has died at the age of 39, according to multiple reports from South Korean entertainment news outlets. The sudden news of the actor’s passing on February 11, 2026, has shocked fans across social media. The actor, whose real name was Jung Dong-jin, built a nearly two-decade career in Korean television after making his acting debut in 2006.

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Baek Se-hee passed away at 35, drawing grief from readers across South Korea and beyond. The acclaimed author, best known for her memoir I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki, left a lasting mark not only through her writing but also through a life-saving decision made before her death.

South Korean actress Lee Seo-yi has passed away at the age of 43, her manager confirmed. Song Seo-bin announced the sad news through an Instagram post, sharing a photo of the late actress along with a heartfelt message. Lee Seo-yi was widely recognized for her performances in the films Scarlet Innocence, The King, and Killing Romance. Her roles in these projects helped establish her as a respected and familiar figure in the Korean film industry.

Source: KAMI.com.gh