Korean actress Kang Myung Joo, known for her guest role in Extraordinary Attorney Woo, has passed away. According to K-media outlets, she had long been battling cancer and succumbed to the disease last February 27, 2025 just a day short of her 54th birthday.
Myung Joo’s daughter Park Se Young confirmed her passing on social media. In her message, she asked fans and loved ones to look back at her mother's days as a theater star fondly. She wrote, “Yesterday afternoon, my mother embarked on a long journey. I would appreciate it if you could remember the moments she shone brightest on stage—something she loved wholeheartedly."
In memory of the late actress, here are 5 facts you need to know about her.
Who Was Kang Myung Joo?
1. She was a Pisces
According to her Naver profile, Myung Joo was born on February 28, 1971. She sadly passed away at the young age of 53 and is survived by her husband and two daughters.
2. She rose to fame as a theater actress
Myung Joo’s first love was the stage. She debuted in her first play back in 1992 and has since left in an indelible mark in Korean theater. Other stage productions she starred in were Hamlet, Circle of Life, Humans or Gods, and Coriolanus. Despite her diagnosis, Myung Joo proved her dedication to her craft and continued acting in the final years of her life, appearing in the stage plays Bea and 20th Century Blues.
3. She appeared in several popular K-Dramas
As a proven theater talent, Myung Joo was occasionally cast for guest or supporting roles in K-dramas. Most of the shows she starred in ended up finding huge success, such as Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Doctor Romantic Season 3, and A Time Called You. The rest of her K-drama repertoire includes Shooting Stars, Castaway Diva, See You in My 19th Life, and Doona!. Her last appearance in a TV series was for the 2024 revenge-thriller Wonderful World starring Cha Eun Woo and Kim Nam Joo.
4. She comes from a family of actors
Myung Joo married fellow actor Park Yoon Hee who also has a host of successful K-dramas under his resume. These include Lovely Runner, Queen of Tears, The Glory, and Twenty-Five Twenty-One. The couple birthed two daughters, Park Se Young and Park Se Bin. The former followed in her parents’ footsteps into the acting world, having had small parts in both theater and TV dramas like Divorce Attorney Shin and Beauty and Mr. Romantic.
5. She was good friends with actor Nam Myung Ryul
Veteran actor Nam Myung Ryul (Hospital Playlist, Coffee Prince) left a heartfelt tribute to his close friend Myung Joo on social media. He expressed his grief and shared that he had initially hoped Myung Joo would beat her illness. “I first met Kang Myung-joo in 1995 on ‘Journey with Oedipus.’ She was such a beautiful actress. Her beauty especially shined on stage,” wrote Myung Ryul. “I remember Kang Myung Joo as a person of truth and sincerity. I regret why heaven takes good people away early.”
We send our deepest condolences to Myung Joo’s loved ones. May her soul rest in peace.
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