Cha In-pyo honors late Choi Bool-am with memories and vintage photo

Actor Cha In-pyo paid his respects at the Asan Medical Center Funeral Hall on the 30th following the death of Choi Bool-am, who passed away in Seoul at age 87 on the 29th. Cha shared a vintage cast photo from the 1998 drama 'You and I' to reflect on his bond with the late actor.

Actor Cha In-pyo has reflected on a special bond formed 28 years ago while bidding farewell to the late Choi Bool-am. As he shared memories of playing father and son with the deceased, the accompanying vintage photograph also captured the late Choi Jin-sil, evoking deep emotion.

On the 30th, Cha In-pyo used his social media to write a lengthy post about his experience starring alongside Choi Bool-am in the 1998 MBC weekend drama 'You and I,' where they portrayed a father and son. He noted that following the massive popularity of the work, Choi Bool-am received numerous invitations to events at the end of the year, leading to a special request from the senior actor to Cha.

“One day, he asked to see me and requested that I accompany him to a place he had to attend,” Cha recalled. When Cha hesitated to answer immediately, Choi Bool-am reportedly said, “In-pyo, if you go with me this time, I will accompany you next time.”

Through this anecdote, Cha reflected on something more than mere friendship between seniors and juniors. “That was how he was,” Cha said, praising the late actor's character, noting that he “treated even a much younger junior as an equal human being.” He highlighted how Choi respected the character of others regardless of their status or career, a trait that remained vivid in Cha's memory after all these years.

Cha expressed his gratitude to Choi Bool-am, who was both his father in the drama and a senior in real life. “Many people were comforted and gained courage because of him as a father,” Cha said, thanking the deceased for serving as the "nation's father" for a long time. He concluded with a final farewell: “Goodbye. Please rest in peace in a place without pain.”

The cast photo from 'You and I' shared alongside the post also drew significant attention. The image features the younger versions of the actors who starred in the production, including Choi Bool-am, Cha In-pyo, the late Choi Jin-sil, Park Sang-won, Song Seung-heon, and Seo Yoo-jeong. In particular, the sight of Choi Bool-am and Choi Jin-sil together in one frame provided a special resonance for those who remember the two actors. The presence of both deceased actors in a single photo brought back the era defined by the drama and its cast.

Cha In-pyo personally visited the funeral hall at Asan Medical Center Funeral Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, to pay his respects. Speaking to reporters, he offered condolences to the bereaved family, expressing his wish that the deceased find peace in a place free from pain and suffering. He also emphasized how Choi Bool-am provided comfort and courage to the public through his long-standing role as the nation's father on television.

Cha expressed his gratitude by mentioning the late actor's acting career, which spanned from the late 1960s to recently. He noted that it is rare for a role played by an actor to accumulate in the public memory across generations and for that figure to be accepted like actual family. The title "nation's father" bestowed upon Choi Bool-am encapsulates the emotional bond built with viewers over a long period.

Choi Bool-am passed away at a hospital in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, at approximately 10 p.m. on the 29th. He was 87 years old. The funeral procession will be held solemnly on the morning of November 2, followed by a funeral mass at Yeouido Catholic Church in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, presided over by Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung. The interment will take place at Donghwa Gyeongmo Park in Paju, Gyeonggi-do.

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