Late Choi Bool-am Nodded Before His Death ... Hwang Young-ki Recalls Their Final Meeting

[Financial News] Actor Choi Bool-am (birth name: Choi Young-han) expressed during his lifetime his wish for his funeral to be held as a “ChildFund Korea funeral,” Hwang Young-ki, chairman of ChildFund Korea, said. Hwang recalled that at their final meeting, Choi nodded when Hwang told him they would ensure he had a proper funeral.
Hwang, who is chairing the funeral committee, made the remarks during a Q&A with reporters after reading a statement of remembrance at the funeral hall of Asan Medical Center in Songpa District, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 30th.
According to Hwang, several types of funeral were possible, including a broadcasters’ funeral, a film industry funeral and a KBS funeral, but Choi had personally asked during his lifetime for a ChildFund Korea funeral.
Hwang explained that Choi had been in a condition that made it difficult for him to speak at their final meeting, then said, “By the end, he was no longer able to communicate verbally, and I believe we conveyed our thoughts fully through eye contact and nods.”
“I could once again feel how deeply his love for children and his commitment to service were rooted in his heart,” he said, reflecting. “It was a very moving time.”
Choi became involved with ChildFund Korea in 1981 and, after being appointed chairman of its national supporters’ association in 1985, continued supporting children in Korea and abroad. He broadened his philanthropic work by organizing overseas supporters’ groups and visiting field sites in Africa, and also supported cultural and arts education and social reintegration for juvenile inmates through the incorporated association Zero Camp.
ChildFund Korea will create memorial spaces on the first floor of its headquarters and on its website for members of the public and donors who wish to honor Choi.
Choi died at 10:30 p.m. on the 29th while receiving inpatient treatment at a hospital in Gangseo District, Seoul. He was 87. A wake is being held at the funeral hall of Asan Medical Center.
The funeral procession will take place at around 7:40 a.m. on Nov. 2. A funeral Mass will be held at around 9 a.m. that day at Yeouido Catholic Church in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, followed by a farewell at ChildFund Korea’s headquarters in Mugyo-dong, Jung District, Seoul, at around 10:40 a.m. He will be laid to rest at Donghwa Gyeongmo Park in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.

[email protected] Shin Jin-a, Jang In-seo Reporter