South Korean actor Lee Yong-joo, remembered by K-drama fans for Princess Hours and by Korean audiences for his scene-stealing performance in the military comedy Blue Tower, has died at the age of 44.
Lee died suddenly on August 29, 2026, according to multiple South Korean media reports. CNA Lifestyle, citing The Chosun Daily, reported that the actor suffered cardiac arrest, while some Korean reports translated into English have described the event as a heart attack. No publicly released medical statement has definitively clarified the precise underlying medical cause.
News of Lee’s death was initially shared through social media by a close friend, who said the sudden loss was difficult to believe and asked people who knew the actor to remember him as he made his “final journey.”
The shock quickly spread through South Korea’s entertainment industry, particularly among Lee’s former Blue Tower colleagues, several of whom posted emotional tributes recalling an actor whose off-screen warmth appeared to mirror the lovable characters audiences remembered.
‘Blue Tower’ Family Mourns One of Its Own
Actor Kim Ho-chang, who worked alongside Lee on Blue Tower, shared one particularly poignant memory.
According to CNA, Kim recalled recently telling Lee that he had considered giving up acting. Lee urged his younger colleague not to quit, telling him to keep going as the youngest member of the Blue Tower family. After Lee’s death, Kim responded publicly that he would trust those words and continue.
Kim later visited Lee’s funeral altar and encouraged acquaintances who had not yet heard about the death to come and pay their respects.
Comedian and actor Kim Jae-woo also remembered Lee as someone who genuinely cared about his colleagues and approached acting with extraordinary enthusiasm. He recalled seeing Lee approaching him on set with a wide smile and expressed hope that audiences would continue remembering him long after his death.
Fellow Blue Tower actor Baek Bong-gi posted another emotional farewell, expressing regret that he had not called or spent more time with Lee while he was alive.
The tributes underscored how closely the cast remained associated years after the military sitcom became one of Lee’s defining projects.
The Role That Made Lee Yong-joo Famous
Lee began his entertainment career as a model before moving into acting.
He made an early film appearance in the 2004 historical production Doma Ahn Jung-geun and subsequently built a career through supporting roles in television dramas including Hello, Francesca, Princess Hours, Rude Miss Young-ae and Two Women’s Room.
International K-drama audiences may remember him particularly from the hugely popular 2006 romantic comedy Princess Hours, also known as Goong, where he played Jang-kyung, one of Crown Prince Lee Shin’s school friends.
But his breakthrough with South Korean viewers came through tvN’s military comedy Blue Tower, in which Lee portrayed an awkward and inexperienced new soldier.
The role transformed his lack of real-life military experience into comedy.
Ironically, Lee had never served in the military because he had been medically exempted.
His Previously Disclosed Heart Condition Returns to the Spotlight
Following Lee’s death, attention turned to something the actor had discussed publicly years earlier: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM.
Lee previously said that he had received an exemption from South Korea’s mandatory military service after being diagnosed with the heart condition. AsiaOne reported that Lee had also discussed a family history of the disease, saying his mother had been hospitalised with the same condition and that doctors subsequently advised him to undergo testing.
Earlier in 2026, Lee again referred to having heart problems while appearing on fellow actor Lee Jong-hyuk’s YouTube channel.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy causes the heart muscle to become abnormally thick. In some patients it can interfere with normal blood flow or contribute to dangerous abnormal heart rhythms. The Mayo Clinic notes that HCM can, in rare cases, be associated with sudden cardiac death.
However, an important distinction remains: CNA reported that no direct connection between Lee’s previously disclosed HCM and his death had been established. It would therefore be inaccurate to state as fact that the condition caused his death without further medical confirmation.
Lee Had Also Been Rebuilding His Life Away From Acting
Lee’s life had extended beyond television.
In an earlier interview, he spoke about running a travel business, although AsiaOne reported that his travel agency was forced to close during the COVID-19 pandemic. More recently, other reports said he had been operating a one-person travel agency in the Seongnam area while continuing to navigate life outside the entertainment industry’s spotlight.
He nevertheless remained associated with acting and returned to the military-comedy genre with an appearance in the 2022 drama New Recruit.
Lee Yong-joo Laid to Rest
Lee’s funeral altar was established at Bundang Jesaeng Hospital Funeral Hall in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.
The funeral procession was scheduled for 6:30 a.m. on August 31. A subsequent report published Monday said the procession had taken place and that Lee was laid to rest at the Seongnam City Funeral Culture Center, with several Blue Tower colleagues gathering to say goodbye.
For many viewers, however, Lee Yong-joo’s enduring image will remain the bewildered but instantly likeable rookie soldier who turned the frustrations of military life into comedy.
And the messages left behind by his former co-stars suggest his greatest impact may not have been limited to the characters audiences saw on screen.
It was the encouragement, friendship and kindness his colleagues say he showed when the cameras were no longer rolling.
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