BREAKING: Veteran Actor Choi Bul Am, Beloved As The “Nation’s Father,” Passes Away At 87
Veteran actor Choi Bul Am (real name Choi Young Han) has passed away. He was 87.
According to a Yonhap News report on October 30, Choi Bul Am passed away at around 10 PM on October 29 while receiving inpatient treatment at a hospital in Gangseo District, Seoul. It is reported that he had difficulty moving after undergoing spinal disc surgery in March last year, and he worked hard on rehabilitation, but his health recently deteriorated rapidly.
Born in 1939 (1940 according to his family register), Choi Bul Am graduated from Joongang High School, Seorabeol Arts College, and the Department of Theater and Film at Hanyang University, and began his acting career in 1959 on stage in the play “Hamlet.” He then joined KBS in 1967 as a special-hire talent (6th class) and stepped into television by appearing as the elderly Kim Jong Seo in the drama “Grand Prince Suyang.”
Afterward, he appeared in countless works, including playing Chief Park Young Han in MBC’s “Investigation Chief” and Chairman Kim of Yangchon-ri in “Farm Diary,” as well as “You and I” and “Widow,” and was called the “Nation’s Father” and the “Nation’s Actor.” He also quietly hosted the KBS current affairs and culture program “Korean Table” for 14 years, sharing the lives contained in tables across the country, but he stepped down last year due to health issues.
In May this year, the MBC documentary “Paha, This Is Choi Bul Am,” which covers his 60-year acting career, was also released. Although he was originally scheduled to appear, he did not appear on camera at his family’s request so that he could focus on rehabilitation. At the time, he left a message through MBC, saying, “I want to express my gratitude to the viewers who have loved me for so long. That is the heart of a clown.”
It is reported that a funeral altar has not yet been set up. He is survived by his wife, actress Kim Min Ja, son Dong Nyeok, and daughter Dong Bi.
Source: (A)
