Veteran Korean actor Byun Hee-bong, best known for his work with Oscar winner Bong Joon-ho on films such as ‹Okja› and ‹Memories of Murder,› has died. He was 81. In a statement, Hee-bong›s family revealed that the actor died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in southern Korea in 1924, Hee-bong began his career on stage before moving on to television. ‹The First Republic› (1981), ‹The Joseon Dynasty 500 Years: Seoljungmae› (1985), and ‹The Legendary Doctor: Hur Jun› (1999) are among his major small screen credits. Hee-bong later made the transition to the big screen. He was renowned globally for his collaboration with director Bong Joon-ho.
Hee-bong appeared in four films directed by the Academy Award winner, including ‹Barking Dogs Never Bite› (2000), ‹Memories of Murder› (2003), ‹The Host› (2006), and ‹Okja› (2017).
