Actor Choi Bul-am passes away at the age of 87

Actor Choi Bul-am (real name Choi Young-han) passed away around 10 p.m. on the 29th at a hospital in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. He was 87 years old. After undergoing spinal disc surgery last year, Choi Bul-am experienced mobility difficulties and stepped down from KBS1’s ″Korean Table″ after 14 years since 2011 to focus on rehabilitation treatment. In May of this year, MBC released a two-part documentary titled ″Paha, This is Choi Bul-am,″ highlighting his over 60 years of acting career, but he did not appear personally in accordance with his family’s wishes. Born in 1939 (officially registered as 1940), Choi Bul-am was born in Jemulpo District (then Dong-gu), Incheon. He graduated from Seoul Joongang High School, Seorabeol Art College, and Hanyang University’s Department of Theater and Film. He debuted in 1959 with the play ″Hamlet″ at the theater company ″Experimental Theater Group″ and began his full-fledged acting career in 1965 as a member of the National Theater Company. In 1967, he was selected as a sixth special recruit talent for Seoul Central Broadcasting (now KBS) and expanded his activities to television by playing Kim Jong-seo in the drama ″Prince Suyang.″ He later gained popular acclaim through roles such as Chief Park Young-han in MBC’s ″Chief Inspector,″ Chairman Kim of Yangchon-ri in ″Rural Diary,″ and Captain Park in ″You and I.″ Choi Bul-am was active not only as an actor but also as a host of current affairs and educational programs for a long time. From 1999 to 2008, he hosted KBS’s ″Good Country Movement Headquarters,″ and from 2011 until March last year, he led ″Korean Table.″ He also appeared in special live broadcasts to find missing children and to help children with rare and incurable diseases. Additionally, he engaged in social contribution activities as the national sponsor chairman of the Green Umbrella Children’s Foundation and chairman of the nonprofit organization Zero Camp. He also ventured into politics. In 1992, he served as a proportional representative member of the 14th National Assembly (1992–1996) for the Unification National Party. He ran for the 15th National Assembly but was defeated and promptly resumed his acting career. Choi Bul-am received various awards, including the Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Actor in TV (1974, 1978) and Best Actor in Theater (1969, 1971), the Grand Bell Awards for Best Supporting Actor (1978) and Best Actor (1979), the Order of Civil Merit Magnolia Medal (1998), and the Order of Cultural Merit Silver Crown (2014). For his contribution to enhancing the image of the police through ″Chief Inspector,″ he was appointed an honorary police officer in 1972 and became the first civilian honorary head of the National Investigation Headquarters (with the rank of Police Commissioner General) in 2024. The funeral will be held as the Green Umbrella Children’s Foundation funeral, with Chairman Hwang Young-ki of the Green Umbrella Foundation serving as the funeral committee chairman. Former Prime Ministers Lee Soo-sung and Lee Nak-yeon will participate as committee members. The funeral hall will be set up at Seoul Asan Hospital from 9 a.m. on the 30th. The bereaved family includes his wife Kim Min-ja, son Dong-nyeok, and daughter Dong-bi.