Key Points
Prominent actress passed away from cardiac arrest after cancer battle
Starred in Netflix's popular Squid Game second season
Resilient performer with 59-year acting career
Overcame stage 4 breast cancer through determination
Lee suffered from cardiac arrest at her family home on the morning of February 2 and was pronounced dead after being transferred to St Mary's Hospital in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi, South Korea according to her talent agency, 1230Culture.
She had been diagnosed with stomach cancer just three months before her death, as per the outlet.
She was seen in the popular series 'Squid Game' as the mother of undercover detective Hwang Joon-Ho (Wi Ha Joon) and stepmother of Hwang In Ho (Lee Byang Hun).
Lee was previously diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in her fifties and she was given a life expectancy of one year.
However, in July 2023, she shared that she spent 13 years being treated for the disease and that it had ultimately been successful, per the outlet.
"I found out at the end of stage 3 and it soon became stage 4," said Lee, adding, "I overcame it well because I have children."
"Everyone becomes stronger when faced with a crisis," she continued. "If you let everything go, you become helpless. When I was contacted by a film company to work with them, I said, 'I'm sick,' and they said, 'That's an illness, and we're working.' I was grateful for that kind of thinking," as per the outlet.
Lee started her acting career in 1964. She was part of stage productions of Death of a Salesman and Macbeth, the K-drama The Uncanny Counter, and the 2016 horror movie Train to Busan.
Her funeral service will be held at Severance Hospital in Sinchon, Seoul, on February 5, reported People.
