South Korean actor Lee Yong-joo, remembered by viewers for his scene-stealing role as an awkward rookie soldier in tvN’s military comedy Blue Tower, has died at the age of 44, prompting an outpouring of grief from fans and former co-stars.
Lee died on Saturday, August 29, 2026, according to multiple South Korean news organizations. Yonhap and The Chosun Daily, citing broadcasting-industry sources, reported that the actor died following a heart attack. News of his sudden passing was also shared on social media by a close acquaintance, who said the unexpected loss was difficult to believe.
The news quickly spread beyond South Korea, with GMA News and ABS-CBN among the Philippine outlets reporting Lee’s death.
Lee Yong-joo’s Previous Heart Condition Draws Fresh Attention
As fans struggled to process his sudden death, an earlier disclosure about Lee’s health resurfaced in South Korean media.
Lee had previously revealed that he was exempted from South Korea’s mandatory military service because of a heart condition. Korean reports have identified that condition as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disorder in which the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick.
During an appearance on actor Lee Jong-hyuk’s YouTube channel in February 2026, Lee again referred to having a problem involving his heart while discussing why he had not served in the military. Money Today and OSEN reported that the interview has received renewed attention following his death.
Lee had spoken about the diagnosis years earlier as well. Korean entertainment reports said he disclosed around the time of Blue Tower in 2013 that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy had resulted in his military exemption.
However, there is an important distinction: no publicly cited medical finding has established that Lee’s previously disclosed cardiomyopathy directly caused his death. Korean news organizations have reported his cause of death as a heart attack, while several English-language reports have used the term cardiac arrest. Those terms should not automatically be treated as medically identical, and the precise medical circumstances surrounding his death have not been publicly detailed.
From Fashion Model to Familiar K-Drama Face
Lee Yong-joo began his entertainment career as a model before moving into acting.
Yonhap reported that he started acting with a small role in the 2004 film Doma Ahn Jung-geun. He later appeared in television productions including MBC’s Hello, Francesca, tvN’s long-running comedy Rude Miss Young-ae — also translated in English under variations including Ugly Miss Young-ae — and SBS drama Two Women’s Room.
He was also part of the cast of the hugely popular 2006 romantic comedy Princess Hours, helping make his face familiar to an international generation of K-drama viewers.
But it was Blue Tower that became the performance most closely associated with his name.
Playing the bewildered and endearingly inexperienced rookie soldier Lee Yong-joo, he turned the character’s confusion and military mishaps into a major source of comedy. The irony was something Lee himself could joke about: despite portraying a believable new recruit on screen, he had never actually undergone military service because of his medical exemption.
His portrayal ultimately became one of the defining roles of his career.
He Had Been Starting a New Chapter Away From Acting
Perhaps one of the most poignant details to emerge after his death concerns what Lee had been doing during his final months.
During his February 2026 YouTube appearance, Lee revealed that he had gone through a failed business venture in Busan before returning to the Seoul metropolitan area.
Rather than giving up, he was starting again.
Lee said he had opened and was operating a one-person travel agency near Moran Market in Seongnam, according to Money Today and other Korean reports. His cheerful discussion of the new business has resurfaced following his death because it showed an actor apparently looking toward another chapter of his life only about six months earlier.
That final glimpse has made his sudden passing particularly painful for longtime viewers and colleagues.
‘Blue Tower’ Co-Stars Mourn Lee Yong-joo
Members of the Blue Tower cast were among those publicly mourning Lee.
Actor Kim Jae-woo remembered Lee as a caring colleague and passionate actor, recalling his smiling presence on set and expressing hope that Lee would remain in people’s memories for a long time.
Fellow actor Baek Bong-gi expressed regret that he had not contacted or seen Lee more often, writing that the realization he would never meet him again had left him unable to sleep.
Other colleagues also shared messages encouraging people who knew Lee to visit his funeral and pay their respects.
Their tributes painted a picture extending beyond Lee’s familiar comedy persona: colleagues remembered him as someone who cared sincerely about the people he worked with.
Funeral Scheduled for August 31
Lee Yong-joo’s funeral altar was established in Room 5 of the Bundang Jesaeng Hospital Funeral Hall in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.
The funeral procession is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. on Monday, August 31, with the Seongnam City Funeral Culture Complex listed as the final destination, according to Yonhap and other Korean outlets.
Lee was born in 1982 and leaves behind an entertainment career spanning more than two decades — from modeling and early supporting roles to the rookie soldier who made countless viewers laugh in Blue Tower.
His death at only 44 has now brought two very different chapters of his life back into focus: the comic actor remembered by millions of television viewers, and the man who, only months before his passing, was speaking optimistically about rebuilding his life through a small travel business.
For fans who grew up watching Princess Hours, Rude Miss Young-ae and Blue Tower, Lee Yong-joo’s familiar face will remain tied to an era of Korean television — and to a character whose awkwardness made audiences laugh long after the cameras stopped rolling.
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