Veteran actor and former lawmaker Lee Soon-jae died early Tuesday, his family said. He was 91.

Born in Hoeryong, North Hamgyong Province, Lee debuted in 1960 as part of KBS’s first class of talent recruits and remained active until last year, making him the oldest working actor in Korea.

He served three terms as president of the Korea Broadcasting Actors Association in the 1970s and 1980s, and in 1992 was elected to the National Assembly as a candidate for the then-ruling Democratic Liberal Party (DLP).

Although he continued acting at an advanced age, concerns about his health surfaced late last year. He canceled scheduled stage performances in October and was unable to attend the Korea PD Awards ceremony in April.