Veteran Korean actor Park Dong-bin found dead at 56 in South Korea as authorities confirmed the longtime performer was discovered deceased at a restaurant he was preparing to open in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. The incident occurred at approximately 4:25 PM local time (KST) on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, according to reports citing the Pyeongtaek Police Station.
Officials responding to the scene reported no immediate signs of foul play or forced entry, indicating that the circumstances surrounding the actor’s death remain unclear. Authorities have launched an ongoing investigation to determine the exact cause and sequence of events leading to his death. Further details have not yet been released as of this writing.
Park Dong-bin, 56, was a familiar figure in South Korea’s entertainment industry and gained renewed international recognition in recent years after a scene from the 2012 television drama It Was Love went viral online. The clip, which showed him humorously spitting out orange juice in reaction to shocking news, circulated widely on social media and earned him the nickname “Juice Guy,” introducing his work to a younger, global audience.
His passing has drawn attention not only for his acting career but also for his recent entrepreneurial efforts. Reports indicate that he had been in the process of opening a new restaurant in Pyeongtaek, where he was found.
Funeral arrangements were scheduled for the morning of Friday, May 1, 2026 (KST). According to local reports, his remains were to pass through the Yongin Forest of Peace before being laid to rest at Woosung Memorial Park.
Park is survived by his wife, Lee Sang-yi, and their young daughter, Ji-yoo, who was born in 2023 and has reportedly been undergoing treatment for a congenital heart condition.
