Disney Actress Park Soo Ryun Dead at 29

By Allison Schonter

South Korean actress Park Soo Ryun, who starred in the K-drama Disney+ series Snowdrop, has died. Ryun passed away on Sunday, June 11 after falling down a flight of stairs on Jeju Island, according to local media reports, per Onmanorama. Ryun, who was visiting the island for a scheduled performance later that day, was rushed to the hospital, where she was declared brain dead despite attempts to revive her. She was 29. Ryun's family has decided to donate her organs, K-pop website Soompi reported.

"Only her brain is unconscious, and her heart is still beating. There must be someone who desperately needs [organs]," her mother told Soompi. "As her mother and father, we will be able to live comforted [by the thought that her heart] has gone to someone and is beating."

Ryun rose to fame in 2018 with the musical Il Tenore, which also featured actors such as Lee Sang-yi and Jeon Mi-do. She went on to appear in musicals and plays including The Cellar, Othello, and The Day We Were In Love. In 2021, the actress made her small screen debut in Disney+'s Snowdrop. The romance K-drama is set in 1987, a tumultuous year in Korean history. Ryan starred as a student at the Hosu Women's University alongside Blackpink singer Jisoo and actor Jung Hae-in. The series ran for 16 episodes between December 2021 and January 2022. The series was shrouded in some controversy over its depiction of North Koreans, song choice, and historical accuracy, and a petition was even created to stop the show from airing. Per WDW News Today, despite the controversy, Snowdrop was among the five most-watched shows in the streaming service's Asia-Pacific market during its first five weeks of streaming.
 
Amid Ryun's passing, many fans have paid tribute to the actress, with one fan sending their "deepest condolence to the family of SooRyun. May her soul rest in peace." Another person tweeted, "Tragic news, may she rest in peace and may her family find the strength they need during this hard time."

Ryun's tragic passing follows the death of Snowdrop actor Kim Mi-soo. The actress, who played a history student on the show, died in January 2022 at the age of 29. Her cause of death was not revealed.

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