Hwang Jang-lee, the kicking legend who squared off with Jackie Chan in Drunken Master, died Thursday, Nov. 12, at Gangnam St. Mary's Hospital in Seoul. He was 81, Yen.com.gh reported.
Jin-yong Kim, former chairman of the Hwang Jang-Lee World Martial Arts Federation, announced the death on social media and said Hwang devoted his life to spreading Korean taekwondo around the world and building exchange between Eastern and Western martial arts.
The man behind Thunderleg
Hwang started out as a taekwondo instructor and made his film debut in 1974's The Return of the One-Armed Boxer. He moved into the Hong Kong film industry with roles in Secret Rivals, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and Drunken Master.
In the 1978 classic Drunken Master, he played the villain Thunderleg, who clashes with Chan's Wong Fei-hung. His screen villains became known for fast, disciplined kicks, and fans around the world still trade clips of those fights. The film was even a big hit in Ghana in the 2000s.
Back home in South Korea, Hwang directed and starred in The Killer of Guangdong and served as martial arts director on the drama Hourglass. Kim also pointed to his work in The Takeover and The Executioner.
Archyde, citing the Korean outlet Hankyung, reported that Hwang was also a Vietnam War veteran, that wreaths arrived from figures including President Lee Jae-myung and the Korea Film Actors Association, and that his funeral procession is set for Sunday, Nov. 15.
Chan's legacy is still growing. Read Cup of Soul's report on Rush Hour 4 with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.
