National actor Choi Bool-am dies at 87

Veteran actor Choi Bool-am passed away at around 10 p.m. on the 29th in Seoul after a rapid deterioration in health. His 60-year career included starring in the long-running drama "Country Diaries" and hosting the KBS program "Korean Cuisine and Dining" for 14 years.

Choi Bool-am, an actor who symbolized an era of Korean popular culture, has passed away. From Chief Inspector Park Young-han in "Chief Inspector" to Chairman Kim in "Country Diaries," he spent decades guarding the living rooms of Korea, portraying the joys and sorrows of the Korean people. He passed away at the age of 87. The departure of this national actor, who presented the face of a father who was stubborn yet warm and strict yet human, is accepted as more than just the obituary of a star; it is a period at the end of the sentence for the history of Korean TV drama that moved alongside him.

Choi Bool-am passed away at around 10 p.m. on the 29th while receiving treatment at a hospital in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. After undergoing spinal disc surgery last March, his mobility became impaired, leading him to step down from the KBS 1TV program "Korean Cuisine and Dining," which he had hosted for 14 years since 2011. Although he focused on rehabilitation afterward, his health was reported to have deteriorated rapidly. While he is remembered by viewers as a friendly host who shared stories of people and dining tables from across the country, the core of his legacy lies in a fierce acting career spanning over 60 years.

Born in 1939, Choi Bool-am's real name is Choi Young-han. His birth year is recorded as 1940 in the family registry. Born in Jemulpo-gu, Incheon, he attended Joongang High School, Seorabeol College of Arts, and the Department of Theater and Film at Hanyang University, initially dreaming of becoming a director. He made his stage debut in 1959 with the Experimental Theater Society's play "Hamlet" and entered the path of a professional actor in 1965 as a member of the National Theater Company of Korea. In 1967, he entered TV drama after being selected as a 6th-generation talent for Seoul Central Broadcasting. While in his 20s at the time, he demonstrated his presence in the drama "Grand Prince Suyang" by playing the elderly Kim Jong-seo.

The work that etched his name across the nation was undoubtedly the MBC drama "Chief Inspector." Following its broadcast from 1971 to 1984 and continuing from 1985 to 1989, Choi Bool-am starred as Chief Inspector Park Young-han. He established himself as a symbol of the Korean-style investigative drama by portraying not only the coolness of an investigator solving crimes but also the human circumstances and social contradictions behind the cases. His connection to the role continued through a special appearance in "Chief Detective 1958," earning him the nickname "Eternal Chief Inspector."

Another representative work, the MBC drama "Country Diaries," elevated Choi Bool-am to the status of a national father. In this drama, which aired for 22 years from 1980 to 2002, he played Chairman Kim of Yangchon-ri, portraying the center of a rural community and a patriarch who embraced his family. His acting, which expressed the weight of a character supporting a family while experiencing daily conflicts and generational clashes without exaggeration, left a deep sense of familiarity with viewers. His chemistry with Kim Hye-ja as a married couple was so natural that they were often mistaken for a real couple. The two worked together in several works, starting with "Frog Husband" and including "Country Diaries," and continued their connection in "Princess Hours" in 2006.

Choi Bool-am's acting world was not limited to the image of a kind patriarch. From his youth, he took on elderly roles regardless of his age, and in his 40s, he played the 80-year-old former President Syngman Rhee in "The 1st Republic" and "The Second Republic." He adjusted his presence to suit the nature of various works, moving between period and modern dramas such as "Eyes of Dawn," "Lingering Hope," "Age of Heroes," "Princess Hours," and "Gourmet." In film, he appeared in numerous works including "Light and Shadow," "Yeong-ja’s Heydays," "Wangsimni," "A Good Day for the Wind to Blow," "Our Joyful Young Days," "Don’t Mess Around," and "Undercover Duty." His attitude of prioritizing the completeness of a work over whether he played a lead, supporting, elderly, or special appearance role was one of the reasons he was respected as an active actor for many years.

He never lost his affection for the stage. In 2018, he returned to the theater stage for the first time in about 25 years with "When the Wind Blows and the Stars Sway." That same year, he appeared in the OCN drama "Life on Mars," and in 2024, he reunited with the character that had sustained him for a long time through a special appearance in "Chief Detective 1958," which tells the past stories of "Chief Inspector." In May of this year, the MBC two-part documentary "Paha, I'm Choi Bool-am," which highlights his 60-year acting career, was released. He had originally planned to appear in person, but was unable to stand before the camera due to his family's request that he focus on rehabilitation. Produced in his absence, the documentary instead served as an opportunity to trace the traces left by the actor Choi Bool-am in Korean popular culture.

As a broadcaster, Choi Bool-am was also close to the public. He hosted the KBS program "Campaign Headquarters for a Better Country" from 1999 to 2008 and led "Korean Cuisine and Dining" from 2011 until last year. In particular, "Korean Cuisine and Dining," which connected food, regions, and people's lives, was loved as educational content that recorded the life history and community memories of Korean society beyond a simple gourmet program. His hosting style, which involved listening calmly to the stories of others rather than using flashy speech and respecting the stories contained in simple meals, aligned with the human image he built as an actor.

One cannot forget his unique laughter when remembering him. The sight of him tilting his head back and laughing, "Paha~," became a signature expression that symbolized Choi Bool-am. In the 1990s, the humor content "Choi Bool-am Series" bearing his name gained great popularity, and many actors and broadcasters expressed friendliness by imitating his laughter. This phenomenon was possible because a solemn father figure and a casual sense of humor coexisted within one person. The human space that could not be explained by the image of an authoritative patriarch alone, and the composure to allow his own image to become a subject of laughter, made him a familiar figure spanning generations.

His career extended beyond acting and broadcasting into politics. Choi Bool-am served as a member of the 14th National Assembly as a proportional representative for the Unification National Party, which was founded in 1992 by Hyundai Group Honorary Chairman Chung Ju-yung. In the 15th general election in 1996, he ran as a New Korea Party candidate for Yeongdeungpo-gu Eul in Seoul but was not elected, after which he returned to acting through "Country Diaries." His connection with Honorary Chairman Chung Ju-yung continued not only in politics but also through his works. He played the young Chung Ju-yung in "Twenty-Five Hours of Ambition" and took on the role of Cheon Tae-san, who was modeled after the young days of Honorary Chairman Chung, in "Age of Heroes." The fact that he stood at the intersection of popular culture, politics, and the memories of the industrialization era makes the career of the actor Choi Bool-am even more multi-dimensional.

In his private life, he was also well known for his long marriage to actress Kim Min-ja. After dating for four years, the two married in 1970 and had one son and one daughter. Choi Bool-am fell in love at first sight with Kim Min-ja while she was appearing in the KBS drama "Madam Jeong-dong," and they later developed their love while working together on plays such as "Changing Seasons." Having a special affection for his wife, he was remembered by the public for many years as a kind husband. The fact that the actor, who played heads of households protecting their families in his works, built a family with his long-time partner in real life added a warm resonance to his public image.

The achievements he built as an actor led to numerous awards and decorations. He received the Best Actor award in the TV category and the Best Actor award in the theater category at the Baeksang Arts Awards, and also won Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor at the Grand Bell Awards. The National Order of Merit for Culture, Magnolia Medal in 1998 and the Silver Crown Order of Cultural Merit in 2014 remain as symbols honoring his cultural and artistic contributions. In 1972, he was appointed as an honorary police officer for his contribution to promoting a positive image of the police through "Chief Inspector," and in 2024, he was appointed as the first civilian to serve as the honorary head of the National Office of Investigation. He also contributed to social contribution activities for children and youth, such as participating in special live broadcasts to find missing children and help children with rare and incurable diseases, serving as the national chairperson of the ChildFund Korea support association, and as the chairperson of the organization Zero Camp.

Choi Bool-am's acting encompasses the changes in how Korean society has understood family and community. His characters were sometimes heads of households carrying authority and responsibility, and sometimes politicians and social members agonizing over choices amidst the turbulent waves of the era. Rather than exaggerating emotions or putting himself at the forefront, he conveyed the time accumulated in a character's life through facial expressions, voice, and restrained gestures. The time of acting accumulated in that way became a cultural memory shared by the Korean public, transcending a single actor's filmography.

He is survived by his wife Kim Min-ja, his son Dong-nyeok, and his daughter Dong-bi. The righteous inspector from "Chief Inspector," the warm Chairman Kim from "Country Diaries," and the actor Choi Bool-am, who eased the hearts of viewers with his "Paha~" laughter. In the place he left behind, numerous works and characters, and the memories of living through the daily life of an era, remain. The departure of the national father is a deep loss, but the lives and laughter of the people he portrayed will live on as a scene of Korean popular culture for a long time.

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