Park Dong-bin, ‘Juice Guy’ actor, found dead at 56; police rule out foul play

Key facts

• Park Dong-bin, born Park Jong-moon in 1970, was found dead at 4:25 p.m. on April 29, 2026, in a restaurant in Jangan-dong, Pyeongtaek.
• Police found no signs of foul play or forced entry; no suicide note was discovered.
• He gained internet fame as ‘Juice Guy’ for a scene in the 2012 MBC drama It Was Love where he spits out orange juice in shock.
• Park married actress Lee Sang-yi, 12 years his junior, in February 2020; their daughter Park Ji-yu was born in January 2023 via IVF.
• His daughter suffers from left ventricular hypoplasia syndrome, a congenital heart condition, and had not yet learned to walk at 16 months.
• In June 2024, Park revealed on Channel A’s Oh Eun-young’s Gold-Hearted Counseling that he was sexually assaulted as a child.
• His wake is at VIP Room 5, Domin Funeral Hall in Anseong; funeral at 8:30 a.m. on May 1, with interment at Woosung Memorial Park.
• Park debuted in the 1998 film Shiri and appeared in over 20 films and dramas including Volcano High and Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin.

A sudden death in a restaurant he was preparing to open

Veteran South Korean actor Park Dong-bin, 56, was found dead on Wednesday afternoon at a restaurant he was preparing to open in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. An acquaintance helping with the new business discovered his body around 4:25 p.m. in the city’s Jangan-dong area, police said on Thursday. Investigators from the no signs of foul play or forced entry at the scene. was found. Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances of his death, but have ruled out criminal suspicion.

From ‘Shiri’ to ‘Juice Guy’: a prolific career

Born Park Jong-moon in 1970, Park graduated from Chung-Ang University’s Department of Theater and Film and made his debut in the 1996 film Ginkgo Bed. He gained wider recognition two years later with the blockbuster Shiri, and went on to build a prolific career spanning both film and television. His filmography includes Volcano High, How to Keep My Love, The Huntresses, Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War, and Three Musketeers of Joseon. On television, he appeared in Rustic Period, Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin, The Great Wives, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, and King and I, among many others. But it was a single scene in the 2012 MBC drama It Was Love that turned him into an internet phenomenon: his character, upon hearing shocking news, spits out a mouthful of orange juice, earning Park the affectionate nickname ‘Juice Guy’ or ‘Juice Uncle.’

A late marriage and a daughter with a heart condition

Park married actress Lee Sang-yi, who is 12 years his junior, in February 2020. Their daughter, Park Ji-yu, was born in January 2023 through in vitro fertilization. In June 2024, Park appeared on Channel A’s Oh Eun-young’s Gold-Hearted Counseling, where he revealed that his daughter suffers from left ventricular hypoplasia syndrome, a congenital heart condition. Because of her recovery, the 16-month-old had been lying down constantly and had not yet learned to walk. During the program, Park expressed his anxieties as a late father, saying, “I’m a 54-year-old late-born father, and I’m worried about whether I can take responsibility for my family until the end.” He also disclosed a painful childhood experience: he had been sexually assaulted when very young, a fact he had kept from his parents and wife until that broadcast. “Now that I have a beloved child, I want to say that what is wrong is wrong,” he said, tears in his eyes.

A confession that reshaped a marriage

Lee Sang-yi, hearing her husband’s confession for the first time, noted that the word ‘revenge’ stood out in Park’s interview. She admitted that before their marriage, she had resented her husband because of his frequent outbursts that she could not understand. After listening to the interview, she said, “I think it’s possible that he was trying to protect me reflexively,” expressing newfound understanding. Clinical psychologist Oh Eun-young, who hosted the program, analyzed Park’s behavior: “In Park Dong-bin’s case, this may be a process of regaining control that was taken away by correcting the absurdities of daily life.” Park had described himself as someone who sets clear boundaries and becomes anxious when they are crossed. on a car parked outside the lines: “This is not a world where you live alone. Reflect on yourself,” adding, “If you want to argue, come anytime.”

Funeral arrangements and legacy

A wake is being held in VIP Room 5 at the Domin Funeral Hall in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province. The funeral is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Friday, May 1. Park’s remains will pass through the Yongin Forest of Peace before being interred at Woosung Memorial Park. Park is survived by his wife and their young daughter. His sudden death has prompted a re-examination of his life and career, including the childhood trauma he bravely shared. For many fans, he will remain the ‘Juice Guy’ who brought laughter, but also a man who struggled privately with deep wounds.

The bottom line

• Park Dong-bin, 56, was found dead in his soon-to-open restaurant in Pyeongtaek; police have ruled out foul play.
• He was widely known as ‘Juice Guy’ from a viral 2012 drama scene, but had a long career in Korean film and television since 1998.
• Park married actress Lee Sang-yi in 2020; their daughter, born in 2023, has a congenital heart condition and had not yet learned to walk.
• In a 2024 TV appearance, Park revealed he was sexually assaulted as a child, a confession that helped his wife understand his past behavior.
• His funeral will be held on May 1, with burial at Woosung Memorial Park after a procession through Yongin Forest of Peace.