‘Big Bang’ and ‘Doctor Stranger’ Actor Dead at 68: Agency Confirms Death of Choi Jung-woo

South Korean actor Choi Jung-woo, who appeared in hit films and series including Big Bang and Doctor Stranger, has died.

Choi passed away Tuesday at the age of 69, a representative from his agency, Bless ENT, announced. His cause of death “has not yet been confirmed,” the statement added.

Born in 1957, per Soompi, Choi made his acting debut in the play The Life of an Actor in 1975 and went on to work with theater companies such as Shinsi before eventually transitioning his career to the screen, where he starred on both TV and in films. He made his screen debut in the 2003 series Forever Love, according to his IMDb profile, and followed it with roles in Another Public Enemy and Lady Vengeance before landing one of his most memorable credits: a Section Chief Detective in Park Jung-woo’s 2007 South Korean action-comedy film Big Bang, also starring Kam Woo-sung and Kim Soo-ro. He followed it a few years later with a starring role as Moon Hyung–wook across 19 episodes of the 2014 TV miniseries Doctor Stranger.

On the big screen, Choi also starred in films such as Two Cops, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, Our Town, The Chaser, Secret Reunion, The Witch, Ransomed, The Moon, Project Silence. His TV credits include the medical crime series God’s Quiz, Korean dramas such as Legend of the Blue Sea and City Hunter, as well as other shows such as The Master’s Sun, Shining Inheritance, and My Daughter Seo Young, among numerous others.

Choi continued acting up until recent years, starring in 2024 titles like The Tyrant and The Tale of Lady Ok. His most recent acting credit was as Byeon Kang-Seok in the TV series Susanghan Geunyeo. The actor starred in a total of 12 episodes of the show beginning in 2024. His most recent appearance was an episode that aired in January 2025.

News of Choi’s passing sparked a wave of tributes from fans, with one person writing on a Reddit thread, “May he rest in peace. Such a familiar face in so many dramas..I remember him most from Legend of The Blue Sea and Master’s Sun.” Another person commented, “This makes me so sad. First watched him in Brilliant Legacy and then in City Hunter. Prayers to his family and friends.” Others remembered him as “one of the Greatest of All time,” while another person said “his presence in the kdrama world will be missed.”

The actor will be laid to rest with a funeral service at the Gimpo Woori Hospital Funeral Home on Thursday, with the procession scheduled for 10 a.m.