Nation's Beloved 'Father' Laid to Rest: "May You Rest in Eternal Peace"

[Anchor]

The funeral procession and funeral Mass for the late Choi Bul-am, who was long loved as the "nation's father," were held today (November 2). Many fellow actors and citizens gathered to bid him a final farewell.

Reporter Kim Gyeong-hui has the details.

[Reporter]

The funeral procession for the late actor Choi Bul-am, beloved as a righteous chief investigator and a father figure of our times, was held privately this morning.

A funeral Mass followed at 9:00 a.m. today at the Yoido Catholic Church in Seoul.

Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung, who had baptized the deceased, presided over the service.

[Yeom Soo-jung / Cardinal: May the soul of the late Francis Choi Bul-am enjoy eternal rest in the kingdom of God, Amen.]

Popera tenor Lim Hyung-ju, who maintained a close relationship with the deceased during his lifetime, sang "Ave Maria" to send off the late actor on his final journey.

Actor Kim Hye-soo, who stayed by the mortuary for three full days, along with former Minister Yu In-chon, and actors Shin Hyun-joon and Jung Joon-ho, attended the funeral procession and Mass to accompany the deceased on his final path.

Following the Mass, the funeral procession headed to the ChildFund Korea office in Mugyo-dong, Seoul, an organization the deceased had supported for over 40 years.

This was reportedly in accordance with the wishes of the deceased, who had expressed a desire to visit the foundation after his passing.

After bidding a final farewell to the foundation staff, the deceased will move to his burial site in Paju.

Making his debut in 1959, the deceased received nationwide love while playing Chief Park in Chief Inspector for 18 years and 7 months, and Chairman Kim in Country Diaries for 22 years.

After remaining active in film, theater, and television, he underwent spinal disc surgery in March of last year, but ultimately failed to recover and passed away on October 29 at the age of 87.

In recognition of his 67 years of service alongside the public, the government posthumously awarded him the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit the day after his passing.

Although the deceased has now left us, his commitment to living as a father of our era and a true elder will remain by our sides for a long time.

(Video reporting: Choi Dae-woong, Video editing: So Ji-hye)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.