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Actress' death saddens friends, fans

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Actress Jeon Mi-seon answers questions from reporters during a news conference to preview the forthcoming movie
Actress Jeon Mi-seon answers questions from reporters during a news conference to preview the forthcoming movie "The King's Letters" at Megabox cinema in Jung-gu, Tuesday./ Yonhap

By Jung Hae-myoung

Actress Jeon Mi-seon's sudden death came as a shock even to those close to her, because she appeared to have no reason to cut her life short.

Her death was reported days after she, along with other actors, met reporters in Seoul to promote the forthcoming movie, "The King's Letters."

The film is scheduled to hit local theaters in July. After having a short break, Jeon was to join the KBS TV series "Joseon Rom-com: Nokdujeon."

Jeon, 50, had been busy, traveling the country with the touring play "Two Nights and Three Days with My Mother." She was found dead at a hotel in the southwestern city of Jeonju. She was scheduled to perform in the play there Sunday.
Her agency Boaz Entertainment said the actress had been taking medication for depression.

"Ms. Jeon had been receiving medical treatment for depression," Boaz Entertainment said Saturday. "Please pray for her, and we hope for the sake of the bereaved, people refrain from spreading unconfirmed rumors or speculative reports about her death."

Police said they found no evidence of intruders in her hotel room. She checked into the hotel at 1 a.m. after hanging out with fellow actors and staff. The last phone call she made was a brief phone conversation with her father at 1:50 a.m. According to police, their phone conversation was brief, less than five minutes, and she is believed to have died around 2 a.m. No suicide note was found.

Those who are familiar with the actress said one of Jeon's family members passed away recently and her mother was also sick.

Jeon, 50, was a veteran actress with 30 years in show business. She debuted in 1989 in the hit KBS drama "Toji, The Land" which is based on a historical novel with the same title.

She appeared in many popular TV series as a supporting actress. "Years of Upheaval" and "Fields of Home" were two of the more popular dramas she acted in.

Jeon was also active on the big screen and appeared in several hit films, including "Let's Look at the Sky Sometimes" and "Christmas in August."

Despite her prolific career, she once said in a media interview that she felt she was unfit for show business and left it for a while in the 1990s to explore a career in fashion and design, a stint she said was unsuccessful.

Director Kim Dae-seung's "Bungee Jumping of Their Own" was a turning point in her life and she realized she should return to acting.

After she was cast in "Memories of Murder," and "Miss Mermaid," Jeon later remarked that she "was meant to be an actress"

Jeon was cast in many dramas, including "Hwanjini," "Bread, Love, and Dreams," and "Reply 1988." Among the shows, Jeon played the mother of Kim Tak-ku, the main actor of "Break, Love and Dreams" which had ratings of 49.3 percent.

Jeon won multiple acting awards, including Best Actress at the Korea Gold Awards, and the Excellence Award for the film "Hide and Seek" in 2013.

She was found dead in the bathroom of her hotel room in Jeonju, at 11:43 a.m. Saturday. Her manager found her lying on the floor and called 119, but she had already passed away.

A three day memorial is taking place at the Asan Medical Center, Seoul, and the funeral ceremony will take place on July 2 at 5:30 a.m.





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