Late 'Tiger Teacher' Actor Cho Kyung-hwan Remembered on 14th Anniversary of Death After Liver Cancer Battle

October 13 marks 14 years since the passing of veteran actor Cho Kyung-hwan, the beloved “Tiger Teacher” star who kept acting until months before his death from liver cancer.

According to a NewsEn report published on the anniversary, Cho died on October 13, 2012, at the age of 67, after battling liver cancer. The report noted he continued appearing in dramas until a few months before his passing, pouring his remaining passion into acting.

His daughter Hee-jung shared that the cancer was discovered only after a sudden change in his health. Appearing on MBC’s ‘기분 좋은 날,’ she said: “He lost so much weight that we went to the hospital, and that’s when we learned (of the cancer).”

The family also remembered his warmth on SBS’s ‘좋은 아침-연예 플러스,’ saying he never lost his smile until the end. “He made the family laugh, and even while he was ill, we shared lots of happy stories. We spent time having the conversations we couldn’t when he was busy,” they recalled.

Cho began acting in 1969 as a member of MBC’s first class of publicly recruited talent. In the 1970s he rose to fame as Detective Cho in ‘수사반장’ (Chief Inspector), and became a household favorite in the 1980s through ‘호랑이 선생님’ (Tiger Teacher). His later credits include ‘모래시계’ (Sandglass), ‘종합병원’ (General Hospital), and ‘그들이 사는 세상’ (Worlds Within).

Fourteen years on, he is still remembered as the national talent who never set his craft aside.