National Father Who Left Warm Smiles... Saying Farewell with Ave Maria

[Anchor]

The late actor Choi Bul-am, the eternal father of our times, was laid to rest today (November 2). His portrait still features the warm and comforting smile that consoled the public for the past 67 years. His signature down-to-earth laughter will be missed for a long time. True to his dying wish, which was dedicated to helping children, his final journey to the burial site passed by the ChildFund Korea.

Reporter Ryu Ran has the story.

[Reporter]

The funeral mass for the deceased was held as "Ave Maria," a song seeking eternal rest, echoed through the venue.

Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, who presided over the mass, shared the philosophy of life that the deceased had expressed during his lifetime.

[Andrew Yeom Soo-jung / Cardinal (Presiding over the funeral mass) : (The deceased) said this after receiving his baptism. He said that an actor loved by the public must walk the path of a seeker, which is why he tried to be more mindful of every word and action.]

The late actor Choi Bul-am, who lived a lifetime as a warm father and a dependable adult.

Overcome with sorrow and yearning at the thought that they could no longer meet him, his family, junior colleagues, and citizens shedding tears watched over his final path.

Before heading to the burial site, the procession stopped at ChildFund Korea, where the deceased had served as the national sponsorship chairperson for over 40 years.

Stopping by on his final journey was a request the deceased made during his lifetime.

[Kim Sun-hee / Team Leader, ChildFund Korea : For the past 45 years, all across the country and even overseas without hesitation, whenever there was work for children, he always took the lead.]

The deceased, who consoled the public by playing a righteous police officer and a benevolent father, committed himself to children in his actual life after portraying a role in a drama where he adopted an orphan named Geum-dong.

[Late actor Choi Bul-am / ChildFund Korea 'Green Umbrella' (2015) : When do we become true adults? We become true adults when we help children.]

At the age of 87, his life as a great actor and a cherished elder of our society has now come to an end.

[Late actor Choi Bul-am : I will protect the stage where you can continue to feel affection and warm love.]

(Photo: Yonhap News / Video by Choi Dae-woong / Video Editing by Kim Kyung-yeon / Design by Kang Yoon-jung and Hyun Min-hee / Photo courtesy of ChildFund Korea)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.