Kim Hye-soo provides emotional support to Kim Min-ja at Choi Bool-am's funeral

Actress Kim Hye-soo offered attentive care to Kim Min-ja at the Asan Medical Center Funeral Hall following the death of Choi Bool-am on October 29. Kim Hye-soo, who has viewed the couple as parental figures since her first year of high school, assisted the widow with her movement and clothing as the funeral procession is set for November 2.

Actress Kim Hye-soo has moved many with her attentive care for the bereaved family at the funeral hall of the late Choi Bool-am. While staying by the side of Kim Min-ja, who is grieving the loss of her husband, Kim Hye-soo was seen supporting her by holding her arm, personally wrapping a scarf around her neck, and even tidying the shoes of mourners. Rather than appearing as a top star before the cameras, she appeared as an individual sharing in the sorrow of those she has relied on like parents for many years.

Videos of Kim Hye-soo attending Choi Bool-am's funeral have recently spread across social media and YouTube. Dressed in black formal attire, Kim Hye-soo remained at the funeral hall to welcome mourners and bid farewell to the deceased alongside the bereaved family. In particular, as Kim Min-ja appeared to struggle while attempting to return home, Kim Hye-soo approached her to hold her arm and assist her movement.

Kim Hye-soo's meticulous care continued outside the funeral hall. Amidst the gaze of reporters and citizens, she personally wrapped a scarf around Kim Min-ja's neck. She was seen looking after the widow of the deceased to ensure she could move as comfortably as possible through the combined grief and fatigue. Her consolation, delivered through actions rather than words, suggested the long-standing bond between the two.

Her actions inside the funeral hall also drew attention. Kim Hye-soo knelt to neatly arrange the shoes left by mourners and bowed deeply to those who visited. When greeting senior actors such as Youn Yuh-jung and Go Doo-shim, she was seen embracing them and shedding tears. Her focus on looking after the bereaved and the mourners rather than drawing attention to herself during the memorial service has touched many observers.

The connection between Kim Hye-soo and the couple Choi Bool-am and Kim Min-ja dates back decades. In a 2021 special for the 10th anniversary of the KBS 1TV show 'Korean Cuisine and Dining', Kim Hye-soo appeared with Kim Min-ja and shared childhood memories. She noted that when she was filming a historical drama for her first project in her first year of high school, Kim Min-ja protected her warmly. For the young Kim Hye-soo, entering an unfamiliar filming set at a young age, Kim Min-ja was more than just a senior actress.

At that time, Kim Hye-soo expressed special affection for Choi Bool-am and Kim Min-ja, describing them as "beings like a mother and father to me." This statement showed that her relationship with the two, whom she has relied on like parents for a long time, has evolved into an emotional bond close to family, transcending a simple senior-junior relationship in the entertainment industry.

As such, the passing of Choi Bool-am is expected to have been a unique loss for Kim Hye-soo. Her actions, which went beyond staying at the funeral hall to caring for Kim Min-ja on her way home, are interpreted as sincere consideration for a long-standing connection. In particular, warm reactions are following online as her actions of quietly helping the bereaved, rather than being conscious of her fame as an actress or the public eye, have been made known.

Choi Bool-am passed away at the age of 87 at a hospital in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, around 10:00 p.m. on October 29. The funeral hall was established at the Asan Medical Center Funeral Hall, and the funeral is being held with the head of ChildFund Korea. The funeral procession will take place promptly at 7:40 a.m. on November 2, followed by a funeral mass at Yeouido Catholic Church. As tributes from colleagues and juniors continue for the final journey of Choi Bool-am, who was loved as a national actor for many years, Kim Hye-soo's warm consideration is expected to be remembered as deep affection for the deceased and his family.

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