Lim Young-woong, Founder of Sanwoollim Theater Company, Passes Away After Illness

Courtesy of SANWOOLLIM

▲ Lim Young-woong, founder of Sanwoollim Theater Company / Courtesy of SANWOOLLIM

 

Lim Young-woong, the president of Sanwoollim Theater Company and a significant figure in Korean theater, passed away on Saturday at the age of 89. According to the National Academy of Arts (NAA), Lim died at 3:23 a.m. at Seoul National University Hospital due to a chronic ailment.

Born in Seoul in 1934, Lim began his theater career in 1955. He gained prominence for his role in the first domestic run of Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" in 1969. Founding the Sanwoollim Theater Company in 1970, Lim played a pivotal role in shaping the Korean theater industry's quality and reputation as both an actor and director.

Sanwoollim Theater, established in 1985 in Seoul's Hongdae neighborhood, became synonymous with Korean drama and theater under Lim's leadership. Lim performed "Waiting for Godot" over 1,500 times with Sanwoollim, drawing audiences totaling over 220,000.

Lim Young-woong is survived by his wife, son, and daughter. He will be laid to rest at Seoul Memorial Park in southern Seoul on Tuesday.

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Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com