Acclaimed Korean actor Gong Yoo is mourning the passing of his father, who passed away last Monday, 5 February. He was 78.

The news was confirmed by Gong Yoo’s agency, Management Soop, to Korean media outlets.

Gong Yoo was extra-close to his father. In an interview with Sports Donga for the 2019 film Kim Ji Young: Born 1982, the Squid Game actor said his role “reminded of my own father through the father depicted in the movie.”

Gong Yoo debuted as an actor in the series School 4 in 2001. His first movie came in 2003 with My Tutor Friend. In 2007, he received the MBC Drama Award for Excellence (actor) for the series Coffee Prince.

His career took a massive leap with the fantasy-romance drama Goblin in 2016. That same year, he starred in the international breakout zombie hit Train to Busan.

Gong Yoo is set to star next in the Netflix mystery series The Trunk with Seo Hyun-jin. He will also be part of the expanded second-season cast of Squid Game, which Netflix will show later in 2024.