South Korean actress Park Ji-a, who drew mainstream attention for her role in the hit drama The Glory as Song Hye-kyo’s on-screen mother, has passed away at the age of 52. Park suffered a stroke as she collapsed due to a brain hemorrhage and, despite medical intervention, she was unable to recover. Her agency Billions confirmed the news on September 30, 2024, citing “cerebral infarction” as the actress’ cause of death.
Park Ji-a’s career spanned over 20 years, starting with her debut in the 2002 film The Coast Guard. She went on to take up roles in Kim Ki-duk’s films during the early 2000’s. Park Ji-a later gained recognition for her haunting performances in films like Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, where she portrayed ghostly characters with remarkable skill. In 2022, viewers got to know her through her role as Moon Dong-eun’s mother in The Glory with her portrayal of a complex and troubled mother figure.
At the 2023 Baeksang Arts Awards, where she appeared as a presenter, Park expressed her gratitude and humility. Reflecting back to when she started, she said, “At that time, I was just a small figure, but felt I became a very important person. Everyone applauded me, and I seemed to be shining at that moment. And recently I felt that feeling again after a long time.” This became her last public appearance, making her sudden passing all the more heartbreaking.
Source: JTBC, Netflix
Xoxo
This is sad. RIP.