Son Sook (; born May 13, 1944) is a South Korean actress and former politician. In her first year at Korea University, she made her debut as the protagonist in the play Samgakmoja, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the school's founding. In 1969, she became a founding member of the theater group Sanwoollim, and in 1971, she joined the National Theater, working with renowned directors of the time such as Lee Hae-rang.
Starting with MBC's Women's Era in 1989, she has been hosting radio broadcasts for over 20 years. In 1999, she was the co-representative of the Environmental Movement Union and later became the Minister of Environment. In addition, she has been involved in volunteer activities in various social organizations, including as co-representative of "Beautiful Store" in 2002.
She has received the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Theater Actress three times for her performances in Volcano (1975), Guest (1979), and Mother (1999). She has also received awards such as the Korea Theater Festival Best Actress Award (1986), Lee Hae-rang Theater Award (1997), and the Eungwan Cultural Medal (2012). Her published works include Living Together, Crying and Laughing, People Son Sook Met, Women's Notebook, and The Island Village Boy, Former President Kim Dae-jung.
Son was born in Dajuk-ri Jukseo Village, Sanoe-myeon, Miryang-gun (present-day Miryang-si, Gyeongsangnam-do), during the period of Japanese rule. Her primary education in Miryang was disrupted by the outbreak of the Korean War. Following the requisition of her school for use as a military hospital, students were displaced and forced to attend classes in various provisional locations. These makeshift educational settings included outdoor lessons by the riverside using pine trees as chalkboards and winter sessions held in borrowed storage facilities. During this period, students received milk powder and school supplies via American military transport. Despite the prevalence of cold, hunger, and the visible displacement of war refugees, Son later characterized her rural upbringing during the conflict as a formative experience.
Following a six-month period at Busan Girls' Middle School, Son relocated to Seoul with her mother and younger sibling, to pursue better educational opportunities. Son's mother had married at sixteen, though her husband had subsequently moved to Japan for his studies, leaving her to manage the household independently. Upon arriving in Seoul, the family settled in Donam-dong, where they initially faced difficulties adjusting to the urban environment and the social perception of their rural origins.
While attending Pungmoon Girls' High School, Son aspired to become a writer. She won several writing competitions and organized "Night of Literature" events with students from neighboring schools, including future prominent authors Hwang Seok-young and Jo Hae-il. Influenced by French poets such as Charles Baudelaire and Paul Valéry, she spent much of her time discussing poetry at a music hall in Jongno 2-ga and made multiple attempts to enter the annual "New Spring Literary" competition. During her final year of high school, Son experienced a life-changing performance of Eugene O'Neill's play Long Day's Journey Into Night at the Namsan Drama Center. Directed by Haehyang and featuring acclaimed actors Hwang Jung-soon, Jang Min-ho, and Yeo Woon-gye, the production deeply captivated her and altered her career trajectory toward the theater.
In May 1963, while majoring in history at Korea University, Son was cast in the lead female role of The Three-Cornered Hat by Spanish playwright Alarcón y Ariza. The production commemorated the 60th anniversary of the university. The male lead was portrayed by Kim Sung-ok, a senior member of the university drama club. Their professional collaboration developed into a romantic relationship, and they married two years later in 1965.'
In 1968, she joined the theater group Dongin Theater and started her career as a professional actress, taking on the role of Electra in Eugene O'Neill's play Mourning Becomes Electra. In the following year, She joined Sanullim Theater, which was founded in 1969. During her time in the troupe, She formed a lasting relationship with director Lim Young-woong, whom she regarded as a lifelong mentor. Two years later, she joined the National Theater Company and encountered director Haehyang Sunsaeng, which brought new vitality to her life. Reflecting on her theatrical journey, she said, "I dedicated my youth to Sanullim and the National Theater Company." She cited unforgettable productions such as Dress the Woman, Hong Dangmu, and Silence of the Sea from her years at Sanullim, as well as Faust, Love and Hate, and Look Homeward, Angel from her tenure at the National Theater Company. While she valued the opportunity to work with esteemed mentors and senior actors during her fifteen years at the National Theater, she also noted the artistic constraints within the troupe. Over time, she found herself increasingly at odds with the institutional atmosphere, leading to professional conflicts.
In 1989, during a challenging period in her life, Son was contacted by a producer and asked to read a letter for a potential role. Moved to tears by the writing, she accepted the position and became the host of the MBC radio show Women's Era with Son Sook and Kim Seung-hyun. The program addressed issues such as marital conflict, financial struggles, and personal hardship. Son's empathy and personal experiences resonated deeply with the audience, contributing significantly to the show's success.
Son Sook's Mother was first performed at the Jeongdong Theater in 1998. It was written and directed by Lee Yun-taek, and received a warm response from audiences. Inspired by the success, Jeongdong Theater director Hong Sa-jong, Lee Yun-taek, and Son Sook at the time promised to make Son Sook's Mother a regular repertoire at Jeongdong Theater for the next 20 years, but this did not materialize.
In November 1999, Son Sook appeared in the play That Woman, directed by Lim Young-woong, which premiered at the Sanullim Small Theater in Seoul at 3 pm on the 16th. That Woman is a one-person play that presents a new stage adaptation of Simone de Beauvoir's Woman in Desperate, portraying the despair of a woman who believes she has achieved success in life and love, only to discover her husband's infidelity. This was performed until January 23, 2000.
In the year 2000, Son Sook performed at the Towol Theater at the National Theater of Korea with the play Mother, running from December 7 to 31. This production, written by Lee Youn-taek, was its third staging, following earlier performances in 1996 and 1999. Son Sook's return to the role of Mother after her previous performance in Moscow, along with the controversy surrounding the termination of the play's 20-year contract with Jeongdong Theater, generated considerable buzz.<blockquote>"Theater is a live art form where actors and the audience breathe together. It is an extraordinary experience when actors and the audience meet each other's gaze and share the same breath. Moreover, unlike screens or TV dramas, theater often provides healing for the audience. Despite the challenging environment in theater, I love it and transcend all of that for the love of theater."</blockquote>In 2004, Son Sook's Mother was performed in COEX Art Hall.
In 2007, after 15 years, Son and Park Jeong-ja, who had previously worked together in 1992, reunited for the play Agnes of God. This play revolves around the character of Agnes, a young nun, and explores the intense psychological conflicts and confrontations between the senior nun and the psychiatrist. Since its South Korean debut in 1983, Agnes of God has enjoyed immense popularity, consistently selling out every performance.
On May 24, 1999, Son was appointed the 6th Minister of Environment, a position she held for less than a month. Following a performance at the Taganka National Theatre in Moscow, on May 30, she received $20,000 from the Federation of Korean Industries. While Son defended the payment as a traditional gesture of encouragement for theater professionals, the transaction drew immediate public scrutiny as regulations prohibited public officials from accepting gifts exceeding 50,000 won. Son clarified that the ministerial offer had arrived just one week before the Russian performance, which proceeded due to prior international commitments. She stated that the funds were presented on stage, received by the theater director, and used to cover penalty fees for canceled regional shows and crew compensation. Despite this explanation, the incident was characterized as a bribe in media and political spheres, leading Son to resign on June 25, 1999, while citing a profound sense of injustice.
Prior and after her brief ministerial position, Son has held several leadership roles in the arts and humanitarian sectors. In 1998, Son served as a member of the Women's Special Committee and as a non-standing director of the Arts Council Korea. In March 2006, she was appointed a visiting professor in the Department of Theater and Film at Dankook University. In 2014, She served as the chairperson of the Ethiopian Korean War Veterans Support Association. From April 2013 to May 2020, she was the Director of the Mapo Cultural Foundation. From September 2018 to September 2021, she held the position of Director of the Arts Council.
In 2002, she became a co-representative of the Beautiful Store. Beautiful Store cleans donated used goods such as used clothes, used home appliances, and used books and sells them at low prices. It uses the proceeds to help the less fortunate. It was started with the opening of its first store in Anguk-dong, Jongno District, Seoul on October 18, 2002. In 2003, it sold recycled products provided by over 10,900 individual donors over the course of a year. A total of 55 million won was provided to 52 organizations.
'Son Sook Kim Seung Hyun's Letter Show' was attracting attention by hosting 'Radio Beautiful Shop' that helps neighbors in need through auctions of stars' cherished items.
Son Sook married Kim Sung-ok in 1965 after meeting in their university drama club. Their relationship developed while they performed the lead roles in the play The Three-Cornered Hat. Kim later served as the artistic director of the Mokpo Municipal Theater. The couple had three daughters. Among their descendants, only their granddaughter, Australian actress Yerin Ha, followed their career path into acting. In December 2022, Kim died at the age of 87 while serving as the CEO of the theater company Shinhyup.