“Now that Father’s gone...”: The heartbreaking story behind “Country Diaries” father-son actor Kim Yong-gun’s absence from the late Choi Bool-am’s wake

[Financial News] Actor Baek Il-seop visited the wake of the late Choi Bool-am to pay his respects. He also shared the sad story of why his colleague Kim Yong-gun had no choice but to hesitate about attending.
On the 1st, Baek Il-seop met with reporters at the wake, which had been set up at Asan Medical Center’s funeral hall the previous day. “I didn’t think he would go so soon. He should have lived past 90; it’s so heartbreaking,” he said, unable to hide his grief. He was deeply saddened, saying that having to undergo general anesthesia at an advanced age for two recent back surgeries must have taken a heavy toll on the deceased.
He also recalled their especially close relationship during the deceased’s lifetime. “The juniors Bool-am hyung cherished most were me, Kim Yong-gun and Lee Kye-in,” Baek said. “The four of us would meet regularly and share glasses of soju. What I remember most is that last drink with hyung, who made me feel at ease with just a look.”
He also revealed the story behind Kim Yong-gun’s absence from the wake. Kim had played the deceased’s son for many years in the drama “Country Diaries,” and the two had worked together as father and son. But Kim’s son, actor Ha Jung-woo, is set to marry next month, making a visit to a funeral home a delicate matter according to customary etiquette.
“Yong-gun called me first, and with a major family celebration coming up, I knew it would inevitably weigh on him, so I was the one who told him, ‘Don’t come,’” Baek said. It was a warm gesture by a senior colleague, considerate of the difficult position of someone with a family wedding approaching. Baek added, “The funeral procession is on the 2nd, so Yong-gun, who has this on his mind, might quietly stop by around the 1st.”
The late Choi Bool-am died on the 29th at the age of 87. The funeral procession will take place on the 2nd, and he will be laid to rest at Donghwa Gyeongmo Park in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.

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