Stars Pay Respects To Kim Ja Ok

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Kim Ja Ok
Lee Seung Gi
Kim Hee Ae
Lee Mi Yeon
Noonas Over Flowers

Actress Kim Ja Ok died this week but she will not be quickly forgotten. The 63-year-old actress will be remembered for her spirit and her kindness.

Several of her "Noonas Over Flowers" co-stars turned up to attend her memorial at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital.

Lee Seung Gi, Kim Hee Ae, Yun Yeo Jung, and Lee Mi Yeon attended the memorial and paid their respects to the family. While Lee Seung Gi, Kim Hee Ae and Lee Mi Yeon only got to know Kim Ja Ok during the program, Yun Yeo Jung has known the actress for 40 years.

"I′ve known her since she was in middle school," said Yun Yeo Jung when she appeared on "Noonas Over Flowers" in December 2013. "Because I′ve seen her for a long time, I know what kind of person she is. She also knows what kind of person I am."
The other actors and director Na Young Suk got the chance to grow close to Kim Ja Ok while they were filming the variety show.

The award-winning actress was especially fond of Lee Seung Gi, who she liked to joke with on set.

 "You′re like my son," said she said during the program. "When I see Seung Gi, I′m reminded of my son."

She also grew close to Lee Mi Yeon and wished for her happiness after Lee confessed how discouraged she became when her career occasionally faltered.

"I wish you would be happy," Kim Ja Ok told Lee Mi Yeon on the last episode of the program. "I want Mi Yeon to be happy. I want you to live happily."

Kim Ja Ok was born in Busan and majored in film at Hanyang University. She appeared in dramas during the 1970s and then focused primarily on films, the best known of which was "Sinbu Ilgi." She won four Baeksang Arts Awards through the years and a KBS Drama award in 2011. She continued to act well into her 50s, appearing in dramas and commercials. Altogether she appeared in 94 dramas and 25 films.

The 63-year-old actress died of lung cancer, having previously survived colorectal cancer in 2008. She learned last year that the cancer had returned and spread to her lymph nodes and lungs. She received additional chemotherapy. Revealing her condition during the program "Noonas Over Flowers," she sometimes skipped excursions with the others.

She leaves behind her husband, recording artist Oh Seung-keun, and two children.

Her funeral takes place on Nov. 19 in Seoul.

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