Korean Actor Lee Sang-bo Dies at 45

The wake for actor Lee Sang-bo has been set up in Room 3 at the Pyeongtaek Central Funeral Hall in Gyeonggi Province. He passed away at the age of 45. The funeral procession will be on the 29th at 10:30 AM, and he will be interred at the Pyeongtaek City Memorial Park. Lee Sang-bo debuted in 2006 with the KBS2 drama 'The Invisible Man Choi Jang-su' and appeared in numerous other works, including 'Miss Monte Cristo' and 'Elegant Empire'.

Lee Sang-bo was investigated by the police in 2022 for alleged drug use. However, the National Forensic Service's examination results did not prove the charges, and he received a non-prosecution disposition. At the time, the incident was concluded as a misunderstanding stemming from taking prescribed antidepressants. He later returned to acting in the 2023 drama 'Elegant Empire'.

Regarding Lee Sang-bo's sudden death, his agency, Korea Management Group, stated, "We are currently confirming the details." Furthermore, all posts have been deleted from Lee Sang-bo's social media accounts, adding to the sadness.

In the past, Lee Sang-bo appeared on entertainment programs and tearfully confessed his family history. He experienced the pain of losing his family members consecutively: his older sister's death in 1998, his father's death in 2010, and his mother, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2018, passed away in 2019. He revealed, "I resented why everyone left and passed away, leaving me alone, and I wandered," expressing his feelings of loneliness and sorrow after being left alone, which led him to rely on medication.

In an interview with Star News in January 2024, Lee Sang-bo spoke about the drug accusation incident, saying, "The statement that I felt burdened by the camera was partly due to not wanting to be viewed strangely, even though I did have negative feelings." He mentioned that the incident felt like a "turning point" for him and expressed a sense of relief, stating, "If I had a very difficult time once, I can now even make jokes." He also revealed his passion for acting, saying, "I want to use acting to make people forget about that. I have a desire to be remembered by people through my acting, not by the label of a drug accusation."