Actors Park Joong-hoon and the late Ahn Sung-ki on ‘Radio Star’. Courtesy of Netflix

Actor Park Joong-hoon, the late Ahn Sung-ki’s ‘closest companion,’ left a final tribute.

On the 9th, Park Joong-hoon wrote on his social networking service (SNS) Instagram, “A person who lived with such humility, an actor who was so loved,” adding, “Senior Ahn Sung-ki has passed away.”

He added, “The searing sorrow and longing do not seem likely to stop. I put my hands together and pray that you will be at peace in heaven.”

Park Joong-hoon looked back once more on his bond with the late Ahn Sung-ki. He said, “‘If you were a slow and safe truck, I would be like a sports car that can speed along.’ Still, if there is one thing I did right in my life, it is that, no matter how frustrated I felt, I did not overtake you and kept following behind, so I have come this far without a major traffic accident.”

He also said, “You were my star, a respected mentor, and like a friend,” adding, “Not long ago, I visited you as your health had declined and told you this. ‘My life was truly good because you were there.’ You listened weakly and gave a faint, silent smile. That day, it was very hard to hold back the tears that were about to burst.”

This passage appears in Park Joong-hoon’s essay ‘Do Not Regret,’ published last October.

Park Joong-hoon and the late Ahn Sung-ki were more than a simple seniorjunior relationship; they are regarded as a representative ‘buddy-movie duo’ of Korean cinema. The two delivered memorable chemistry in several works, including ‘Chulsu and Mansu’ (1988), ‘Two Cops’ (1993), ‘Nowhere to Hide’ (1999), and ‘Radio Star’ (2006).

Park Joong-hoon has often said of the late Ahn, “Senior Ahn Sung-ki was the compass of my life.”

Along with this, Park Joong-hoon shared several photos taken with the late Ahn during his lifetime, remembering him.

The late Ahn Sung-ki collapsed at home after food became lodged in his throat and was transported to a hospital, but ultimately did not recover and passed away on the 5th. After the funeral service on the 9th, he headed to Byeolgeurida in Yangpyeong, his burial site.