Who was Song Young Kyu? South Korean actor currently appearing in The Winning Try passes away at 55
Extreme Job actor Song Young Kyu has reportedly passed away on August 4 after recent troubles in his personal and professional life. Know more below.

Trigger warning: Mention of passing, DUI
Korean actor Song Young Kyu breathed his last on August 4, according to multiple reports from domestic media. Sports World has reported that the Yongin Dongbu Police Station in Gyeonggi province noted his passing in the early hours of the day. It is said that an acquaintance found the actor unconscious inside a car at a residential complex in Yongin and brought it to the attention of the authorities. No signs of foul play were noticed, and neither was any note found at the scene.
The news comes after his recent DUI, where the actor was detained after driving for about 5 kilometers in Yongin in an intoxicated state. Following this, he announced his departure from the play Shakespeare In Love, and production teams of K-dramas, The Defects and The Winning Try, which are currently airing, decided to edit out his scenes as much as possible, to avoid damage.
Now, tributes are pouring in from the acting industry for the skilled actor that was Song Young Kyu. Take a look at the many impactful appearances in films and dramas that he worked in.
Song Young Kyu’s acting career
His first reported appearance came in the film Mr. Hong, following which he began taking on many side acting roles in movies and shows. Some well-known projects under his belt include the K-dramas, Gu Family Book (2013), High School King of Savvy (2014), Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014), Reply 1988 (2015), Hwarang (2016), Voice (2017), Hot Stove League (2019), Narco-Saints (2022), and Big Bet (2022, 2023).
In 2025, he had already appeared in 6 shows so far, including The Tale of Lady Ok, Love Scout, The Haunted Palace, Oh My Ghost Clients, The Defects, and The Winning Try. The last two of these shows are currently on air, with no news of his scenes being reinstated so far.
His film career was illustrious with roles in works like Extreme Job, earning widespread praise. Apart from that, he was seen in V.I.P., Toxic, Where Would You Like to Go?, and, most recently, Land of Happiness.