Comedian Lee Hwi-jae's father dies at 87; funeral procession set for Oct. 8
Version 3: Two further outlets, Kyunghyang Shinmun and Maeil Business, have now reported the death, adding that Lee Hwi-jae keeps the mortuary with his sisters and detailing his 2022 halt to broadcast work and his April return to television.
In short
Lee Kang-il, the father of South Korean comedian and broadcaster Lee Hwi-jae, died on Oct. 6 at the age of 87, according to Yonhap's obituary notice and reports by Chosun Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, Kyunghyang Shinmun and Maeil Business. The mortuary is room 9 at the Hanyang University Hospital funeral hall in Seoul, with visitation from 2 p.m. on Oct. 6. The funeral procession is set for 9 a.m. on Oct. 8, with burial at Seoul Memorial Park.
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Lee Kang-il, the father of comedian and broadcaster Lee Hwi-jae, died in the early hours of Oct. 6 at the age of 87, according to Yonhap's obituary notice and reports by Chosun Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo and Maeil Business. Newsis carried an obituary headline. Yonhap gave the deceased's name and age and identified the surviving son by his legal name, Lee Young-jae. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
The mortuary is at the Hanyang University Hospital funeral hall in Seoul's Seongdong-gu, in room 9 on the second floor, Chosun Ilbo and Maeil Business reported; Kyunghyang Shinmun's obituary list named the hospital as Hanyang University Hospital. Yonhap said visitation opens at 2 p.m. on Oct. 6. Chosun Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, Kyunghyang Shinmun and Maeil Business reported the funeral procession will be held at 9 a.m. on Oct. 8, with burial at Seoul Memorial Park, according to Chosun Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo and Maeil Business. Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo said Lee Hwi-jae is listed as chief mourner under his legal name, and Maeil Business said he keeps the mortuary together with his sisters. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
The death comes three years after the death of Lee Hwi-jae's mother, Newsis, Chosun Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo and Maeil Business reported. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
Hankook Ilbo reported that the deceased appeared on KBS2's “Superman Returns” with his son and twin grandchildren, and that in a May 2017 broadcast he and Lee Hwi-jae performed on stage together for Parents' Day. [ 4 ]
Hankook Ilbo reported that Lee Hwi-jae debuted in 1992 and later hosted programmes including “Sponge”, “Wife's Taste” and “Superman Returns”, and that he had been living in Canada with his family during a break before returning to Korean viewers through KBS2's “Immortal Songs”. Maeil Business reported that he debuted in 1992 as an MBC comedian, halted broadcast activity in 2022 and returned this April through the same programme; its headline described the break as four and a half years while its text said four. [ 4 , 6 ]
Why it matters
The death is reported as a personal bereavement for a well-known television personality rather than as a public event, so its consequences are limited to the family and to the entertainment sector that covers him. The formal obituary notice from the national news agency supplies the arrangement details that viewers and media follow, while entertainment and general outlets add career and family background.
Key facts
- Lee Kang-il, the father of comedian and broadcaster Lee Hwi-jae, died at the age of 87. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- Lee Hwi-jae's legal name is Lee Young-jae, and he is listed as chief mourner. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The mortuary is room 9 on the second floor of the Hanyang University Hospital funeral hall in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. [ 2 , 3 , 6 ]
- Visitation begins at 2 p.m. on Oct. 6, according to the national news agency's obituary notice. [ 2 ]
- The funeral procession is at 9 a.m. on Oct. 8, with burial at Seoul Memorial Park. [ 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- The death comes three years after the death of Lee Hwi-jae's mother. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- The deceased appeared on KBS2's “Superman Returns” with his son and twin grandchildren, including a May 2017 Parents' Day broadcast. [ 4 ]
- Lee Hwi-jae debuted in 1992 as an MBC comedian and returned to television in April through KBS2's “Immortal Songs” after halting broadcast work in 2022. [ 4 , 6 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Lee Kang-il, the father of comedian Lee Hwi-jae, died at the age of 87. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- The mortuary is at the Hanyang University Hospital funeral hall in Seoul, in room 9. [ 2 , 3 , 6 ]
- The funeral procession is at 9 a.m. on Oct. 8, with burial at Seoul Memorial Park. [ 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- The death comes three years after the death of Lee Hwi-jae's mother. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- Visitation at the funeral hall begins at 2 p.m. on Oct. 6, according to the national news agency's notice. [ 2 ]
Still unclear
- The cause of death has not been reported. None of the documents state a cause of death.
- The exact time of death is not specified. Chosun Ilbo and Hankook Ilbo say only that he died in the early hours of Oct. 6; Yonhap and Maeil Business give no time.
- Details of the Yonhap obituary notice beyond the visitation hours are truncated in the available text. The notice's text is cut off after the word for the funeral procession, so it cannot corroborate the Oct. 8 schedule.
- The article text available under the Newsis obituary headline is unrelated to the death. The retrieved text concerns a Supreme Court matter and does not match the outlet's own obituary headline, so it cannot be used for the funeral details.
- The length of Lee Hwi-jae's break from broadcasting is given differently within one report. Maeil Business's headline says four and a half years while its article text says four years.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Newsis publishes its report under an obituary headline. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap publishes the obituary notice. [ 2 ]
- Visitation at room 9 of the Hanyang University Hospital funeral hall begins. [ 2 ]
- Chosun Ilbo publishes its report with the procession schedule and burial site. [ 3 ]
- Hankook Ilbo publishes its report with career and family background. [ 4 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun lists the death in its daily obituary column. [ 5 ]
- Maeil Business publishes its report on the death and Lee Hwi-jae's return to broadcasting. [ 6 ]
- Funeral procession held on Oct. 8, with burial at Seoul Memorial Park. [ 3 , 4 , 6 ]