Photo: Netflix
Lee Joo-Sil, who plays Park Mal Soon in Netflix's hit series Squid Game has passed away at 81 years old.
Confirmed by multiple outlets, Lee's talent agency, 1230Culture, the actress went into cardiac arrest at her family home on February 2nd, and was transferred to St. Mary's hospital in Uijeongbu, South Korea as reported by South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo. The newspaper also reported that Lee had been fighting stomach cancer after be diagnosed three months ago.
Lee played the mother of undercover detective Hwang Joon-Ho (Wi Ha Joon) and stepmother of Hwang In Ho (Lee Byang Hun) in Squid Game, and according to her IMDB, the series was her last role.
Born in 1944, Lee made her acting debut as a stage actor in 1965 in several plays including Death of a Salesman and Macbeth. She appeared in TV series Jeonwonilgi as Mrs. Kim from 1980 to 2002, while also taking on roles in other films and TV series, including Roaring Currents (2014) and Train To Busan (2016), among others.
According to JoonAng Ilbo, Lee was previously diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 1993, but after undergoing chemotherapy, and after a decade-long fight was declared cancer-free. During this time, she also received a doctor's degree in Public Health at Wonkwang University.