On January 21, 2023, South Korean media outlet Star News Korea reported that Vincenzo and Little Women actor Na Chul passed away at the age of 36.
It has been reported that the actor was undergoing treatment due to his poor health conditions. The media outlet also mentioned that Na Chul passed away due to exacerbated health issues that he was facing when he was admitted to the hospital. However, after being hospitalized, his health deteriorated suddenly, leading to his unfortunate demise. The actor's cause of death is yet to be known.
As an actor, he played a variety of supporting roles, giving life to the dramas and programs he starred in. He was well-known for his comedic and villain characters in several dramas, including Through The Darkness, Happiness, Jirisan, D.P., Hospital Playlist season 1, Vincenzo, Little Woman, and many others.
Na Chul has also starred in many films such as Tune in for Love, Sinkhole, Extreme Job, and this year's upcoming film Concrete Utopia. This was the actor’s last work helmed by the director Um Tae-hwa, which also stars Park Seo-joon and Park Bo-young.
As netizens continue to pour in tributes in the wake of Na Chul's demise, co-star Kim Go-eun shares a heartfelt message about the actor on Instagram
South Korean actress Kim Go-eun worked with Na Chul on the Netflix hit drama Little Women, where he played the lawyer of the actress’ character Oh In-ju. The two showcased their perfect synchronization as lawyers and clients.
Prior to this, fans also enjoyed his acting in Vincenzo, where the actor played the supporting character of Na Deok-jin, the leader of Babel’s investment and development team. He also gained critical acclaim for playing the role of the villain in the latest hit drama Weak Hero Class 1.
There, Na Chul played the role of a gangster named Ki Gil-soo who was known for trapping high school and innocent kids into the business of gambling. He gives them loans and later orders them to behave as his slaves for the rest of his life in return for his loan.
Little Women co-actress Kim Go-eun paid an emotional tribute to the actor through her Instagram post, which she captioned:
“The best actor ever. The most amazing man, dad, husband, son and friend”
The actress further stated:
“Actor Na Chul, thank you for showing us what good acting is. I wanted to see more of your work. RIP.”
Following his demise, the actress also posted another post on her Instagram on January 22 with a picture of herself and the actor. She wrote:
“I’m sorry I could not be with you till the end. Thanks for making these precious moments. I don’t know what the rush was. It will be better than here. The two remaining treasures I'll keep them. Don't you worry. RIP Na Chul”
Similarly, as news of actor’s death surfaced on the internet, many fans and stars paid tribute to the actor via social media posts. Netizens tweeted that they were sad to let him go like this, as they continued to pour their condolences and praised him for his recent work in Weak Hero Class 1,Once Upon a Small Time, and others.
The actor’s funeral was conducted on January 23, 2023, where his loved ones paid their final goodbyes and condolences to the late actor.