The tragic death of Park Ji-ah, Song Hye-kyo's mother in The Glory, at 52

Park Ji-ah passes at 52

Park Ji-ah is a star gone too soon, as the actress has been receiving renewed recognition for her role in the hit Netflix Korean drama, ‘The Glory’, when she played the mother of Song Hye-kyo’s character.

Image: Billions

Who is Park Ji-ah?

Park Ji-ah is a South Korean actress who had been in the South Korean acting scene since 1997.

Image: Netflix

Personal life

Park Ji-ah was born on February 25, 1972, in the South Joalla Province in South Korea.

Image: Netflix

Acting beginnings

According to The Straits Times, Park Ji-ah first started her career in acting while in the theater company, ‘Chaimu’. It was then that she appeared in her first two big screen works, them being ‘Maria And The Inn’, and ‘Filmmaking’.

Image: billions_ent_ / Instagram

Acting career

Despite having acted since 1997, Park Ji-ah was not a very popular actress in terms of demand in the K-entertainment scene. However, she can be considered a rather memorable one given the roles she played while she was alive.

Image: billions_ent_ / Instagram

In a cult classic

According to Namu, Park Ji-ah is considered an actress who has a recognisable face South Koreans can recognise as she played the ghostly mother in the 2007 film ‘Epitaph’, which is considered a cult classic in South Korean cinema.

Image: Netflix

Known actress in Kim Ki-duk films

Variety also reports that Park Ji-ah was a familiar face in many films by the South Korean director Kim Ki-duk, and had appeared in five of his works.

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Recent fame in ‘The Glory’

In recent years, Park Ji-ah managed to generate another wave of buzz with her appearance in Netflix’s ‘The Glory’ with playing a rather major character in the show.

Image: Netflix

Played mother of the heroine

As Soompi reports, Park Ji-ah played the mother of the show’s heroine, which is played by the K-drama heavyweight actress Song Hye-kyo.

Image: Netflix

Sudden passing

However, Park Ji-ah’s acting career had to be cut short despite her recent gain in fame, as she unfortunately passed on September 30 in Seoul from a cerebral infarction, GMA News reports. The news of her passing was announced by her agency, Billions.

Image: SBS

Health warning

According to KorMedi, Park Ji-ah's tragic demise teaches a valuable lesson: get treatment for the symptoms of a cerebral infarction within 4.5 hours before it is too late. According to the report, the sickness is caused by blood vessel blockages, which produce slurred speech and other symptoms.