Remembering Actor Nam Il-woo One Year After His Passing

March 31, 2025, marks the one-year anniversary of the passing of actor Nam Il-woo, who left us on March 31, 2024, at the age of 85. His agency announced, "Actor Nam Il-woo passed away in the early hours of this day," paying tribute to his legacy.

Born in 1938, Nam Il-woo made his debut in theater in 1957 and was later selected as a voice actor in KBS's third recruitment. He debuted as a talent in KBS's fourth recruitment in 1964, appearing in numerous films such as 'Lady Vengeance' (친절한 금자씨), 'The Mayor' (이장과 군수), 'Cheongdam-dong Scandal' (청담보살), 'When a Man Falls in Love' (남자가 사랑할 때), 'The Priests' (검은사제들), 'The Insider' (내부자들), and the 'Along with the Gods' series (신과함께-죄와 벌, 신과함께-인과 연). His television credits include dramas like 'The Great King Sejong' (대명), 'Pure Love' (순애), 'Bongsunhwa' (봉선화), 'Icha-don' (이차돈), 'Cows' (암소), 'School of Love' (사랑의 학교), 'Who Are You?' (당신은 누구시길래), 'Queen Flower' (왕꽃선녀님), 'Dangerous Love' (위험한 사랑), 'The Age of Heroes' (야인시대), 'War of Money' (쩐의 전쟁), 'Queen of Games' (게임의 여왕), 'Madam Ahyun-dong' (아현동 마님), 'Pink Lipstick' (분홍립스틱), 'Empire of Gold' (황금의 제국), 'When Tomorrow Comes' (내일이 오면), and 'Destiny' (비켜라 운명아).

Nam Il-woo gained significant popularity as an acting couple with actress Kim Yong-rim after their marriage in 1965. They starred together in KBS's historical drama 'The Great King Sejong' in 1973 and MBC's 'Queen Flower' in 2004, which drew considerable attention.

His son, Nam Seong-jin, is also an actor and is married to actress Kim Ji-young, continuing the family's legacy in the entertainment industry.

Despite his age, Nam Il-woo continued to act diligently until he suffered a hip injury while moving to a filming location. Although he recovered from surgery, he sadly passed away due to age-related health issues.

After his father's death, Nam Seong-jin shared on a variety show, "My father's last recorded weight was 38 kg. He expressed a strong desire for bread before he passed. So, I still bring bread and coffee whenever I visit him," revealing his heartfelt emotions.