President, ruling and opposition parties mourn late Choi Bool-am, honoring a life devoted to sharing beyond acting

[Financial News] Tributes to actor Choi Bool-am (whose real name was Choi Young-han), known as the “nation’s father,” continued in political circles. President Lee Jae Myung and politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties honored the late actor’s life of comforting the public through his work and caring for neighbors in need. Tributes also poured in recalling ties with Choi, who had served as a member of the National Assembly.■ The acting career and generosity honored by the president and ruling and opposition partiesOn the 30th, President Lee wrote on X, “I will remember the teacher who stood by the people for many years as the father of our time.” Recalling Captain Park Young-han from 'Chief Detective' and Mr. Kim from 'Country Diaries,' he said he would deeply keep in mind Choi’s intention to attend to society’s shadows and the pain of neighbors.
Prime Minister Han Seong-sook also wrote on X that “the late actor’s career was itself a part of the history of culture and the arts in the Republic of Korea.” She held up Choi’s generosity during his lifetime—including supporting vulnerable people and children with incurable diseases and helping find missing children—as an example for society.
National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik also paid tribute on Facebook to Choi’s passion for acting, his care for younger colleagues, and a life spent looking after neighbors in need before others. “I will cherish for a long time the smile that comforted us through our difficult days,” Cho wrote in his tribute.
The ruling and opposition parties jointly honored Choi’s acting career and his commitment to social responsibility in statements and briefings. In a written briefing, Democratic Party of Korea spokesperson Cho Gye-won praised Choi for emphasizing actors’ social consciousness and portraying the pain of the times and society’s shadows in his works.
In a statement, People Power Party spokesperson Cho Yong-sul praised Choi as a warm father figure and neighbor to many people. Cho added, “The late actor’s warm life and teachings will endure across generations,” and offered comfort to the bereaved family and those sharing their grief.
The spokesperson also recalled Choi’s belief that “good broadcasting makes a good country,” as well as his generosity and volunteer work for children and teenagers.■ The kind words from 30 years ago that an election rival still cherishesIn 1992, Choi entered the 14th National Assembly as a proportional-representation lawmaker for the United People’s Party. In the 1996 general election, he ran in Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo B district as a New Korea Party candidate, competing against Kim Min-seok, then a candidate for the National Congress for New Politics and now leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. After Kim won, Choi returned to acting.
On Facebook that day, Kim recalled as an honor having competed against Choi in the general election. Saying he had learned that rivals could maintain a warm relationship, Kim said he would treasure Choi’s kind words after the election, when he urged him to become a “politician of national-treasure caliber.”
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Song Young-gil, a former Incheon mayor, posted a photo of himself with Choi and recalled how they had worked to make the Incheon Asian Games a success. “I will remember deep in my heart, for a long time, the warmth and comfort you gave me,” Song wrote.
People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Jae-ok wrote, “We’ve lost a good person, a warm and gentle, truly decent elder. For some reason, I feel an emptiness in my heart.” Fellow party lawmaker Kim Dae-sik also recalled his long-standing connection with Choi and honored him for bringing laughter and comfort to the public.
Rebuilding Korea Party leader Shin Jang-sik paid tribute to Choi, saying he returned to acting after his political career and also devoted himself to social causes. “The ‘elder’ who was always by our side, watching over us and giving us strength—that is the legacy Choi Bool-am left to the people,” he wrote.

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