Veteran actress Kim Ji-mi, once known as “The Elizabeth Taylor Of Korea”, has passed away aged 85.
According to a report from The Korea Herald, the star passed away in the United States on Tuesday December 9, and had been suffering for some time from complications due to shingles. She had been living in the US since stepping away from acting in the early ‘90s.
Kim appeared in over 700 films, she came to symbolise the rise of South Korean cinema from the 1950s to the 1980s, when she stepped back from acting. Her last film appearance was in 1992 in the drama Myong-ja Akiko Sonia.
Born in 1940 in Daedeok County, South Chungcheong Province, Kim made her screen debut as a teenager in 1957’s Hwanghonyeolch (translated as Twilight Train). Known for a femme fatale on-screen persona, she became a prominent star in the ‘60s and ‘70s, before starting her own production company in the ‘80s and serving as chair of the Korean Film Council in 1995.
Her career saw her win six Grand Bell Awards, South Korea’s answer to The Oscars, as well as numerous other accolades, including being inducted into the Korean film Hall Of Fame in 2010.
She gained the nickname “The Elizabeth Taylor Of South Korea”, due both to her perceived similarity to the Western actress, and her high profile romantic connections. She was married and divorced three times, all of which drew a lot of attention from the country’s media.
Yonhap News Agency reported that The Federation of Korean Filmmakers said it will host a film industry funeral in her honour. The article also quoted her during a discussion at Busan International Film Festival in 2019, where she reflected: “As an actress and as a person, I feel I’m nearing the final station of my journey. I would be grateful if you could keep me forever in your hearts.”
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