Mourners Pay Respects to 'National Father' Choi Bul-am; Government Bestows Cultural Medal

[Anchor]

Following the passing of actor Choi Bul-am, who received nationwide love across dramas, theater, and films, mourners have continued to visit his wake. The government has posthumously awarded the late actor the highest grade of the Order of Cultural Merit.

Reporter Kim Gyeong-hui has the details.

[Reporter]

As he was deeply loved as the nation's father, mourners visited the wake of the late actor Choi Bul-am throughout the day.

Fellow actors, including actress Kim Hye-ja, who played his wife in his signature drama "Country Diaries," visited the wake to bid their final farewells.

[Kim Hye-ja / Actor]: "I have so many memories of him, and I will live remembering them all. I want to tell him we will meet again soon. How much longer do I have left? See you soon. We will meet soon. Because he is someone I miss so dearly, we will meet soon."

[Yoo In-chon / Former Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism]: "Because he lived as a father for 22 years in 'Country Diaries,' he was always like family, and we always called him 'father' in daily life..."

[Na Moon-hee / Actor]: "Choi Bul-am has gone ahead of us. He was our pride. It leaves a deep emptiness in a corner of my heart that he left like this first. Rest in peace."

The government posthumously awarded him the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit, the highest grade of the Order of Cultural Merit, in recognition of his 67 years accompanying the public through theater, film, and television.

Debuting in the 1959 play "Hamlet" and moving to television dramas in 1967, the late actor gained nationwide affection through hit series like "Chief Inspector" and "Country Diaries."

["Mother, please don't send me away. Geum-dong, Geum-dong is not going anywhere."]

Prompted by an adoption storyline in a drama, he began supporting children in crisis and actively engaged in helping out-of-school youths.

He briefly entered politics, but after failing to win re-election, he returned to his path as an actor.

After halting a program he had hosted for 14 years due to a herniated disc surgery in March of last year, he ultimately did not recover despite the cheers of many.

His funeral is being held as a ChildFund Korea funeral, an organization where he served as chairman of the sponsorship committee for over 40 years, and the funeral service will be solemnly held on November 2.

Former Prime Ministers Lee Soo-sung and Lee Nak-yon are serving on the funeral committee, and the funeral mass will be presided over by Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, who administered his baptism.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
(Video Reported by Park Jin-ho and Kim Nam-sung | VJ: Oh Se-kwan | Video Edited by Yu Mi-ra | Video Source: MBC, KBS)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.