Choi Bool-am, ‘the nation’s father,’ begins his final journey amid Kim Min-ja’s tears and Kim Hye-soo’s support

[Financial News] The late Choi Bool-am, ‘the nation’s eternal father,’ set out on his final journey on the 2nd, farewelled by family and colleagues.
The funeral procession for Choi Bool-am, who died on the 29th of last month, was held at 7:40 a.m. that day at the funeral hall of Asan Medical Center in Songpa District, Seoul. At the family’s request, it was a private ceremony.
According to Yonhap News on the 2nd, his wife, actor Kim Min-ja, watched the funeral cortege while repeatedly wiping away tears, supported by Kim Hye-soo. Kim Hye-soo, who had often described herself as the late actor’s daughter, stayed at the funeral parlor for three days from the first day of the funeral, carefully looking after the bereaved family.
Broadcaster Ahn Hyun-mo and actors Song Il-gook and Jung Joon-ho also followed the funeral cortege with somber expressions. Shin Hyun-joon remained until the hearse and the buses carrying mourners had left, bowing deeply.
The funeral cortege headed to Yeouido Catholic Church in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul. The funeral Mass was celebrated at 9 a.m. by Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung, and popera tenor Lim Hyung-joo, who had shared a special bond with the deceased, sang the memorial song ‘Ave Maria.’ A farewell ceremony will then be held at Green Umbrella’s headquarters in Jung District, Seoul, an organization with which the deceased had been associated for 45 years.
Hwang Young-ki, chair of the funeral committee and chairman of Green Umbrella, paid tribute to the deceased in an eulogy released that day, calling him “someone who carried into his real life the image of a good adult he had shown through his acting.” Hwang had said on the 30th of last month, “There were several options, including a funeral organized by broadcasters, one by the film industry, or one by KBS, but the deceased personally expressed his wish for Green Umbrella to organize the funeral,” adding, “When I told him we would give him a fitting farewell, he nodded.” In the eulogy, Hwang also recalled that moment, saying, “It was brief, but it was a final greeting filled with deep trust.”
His connection with Green Umbrella began in 1981, when Country Diaries aired a storyline in which the family adopted its youngest child, Geumdong-i. When calls and letters of praise from viewers poured in, the deceased reportedly felt uncomfortable being praised as though he had done a good deed when he had only acted out a story written by a screenwriter. That was how he began helping children who genuinely needed support.
After becoming national chair of the supporters’ association in 1985, he took the lead in helping more sponsors form bonds with children. He visited Korean communities in the Americas and Europe to rally support, and also reached out to children in Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya. He supported theater and musical activities for young people in juvenile detention centers and their reintegration into society, carrying on that mission through the establishment of the incorporated association Zero Camp.
Hwang recalled the deceased’s words: “It is the role of adults to give children hope. We should see children as another version of ourselves.” He went on to say, “We will carry on the wishes you left behind and always stay by the children’s side,” before offering his final farewell: “Thank you. I love you. Rest in peace.”
The deceased made his debut in the play Hamlet in 1959. He went on to establish himself as a beloved actor, playing Captain Park Young-han in MBC’s Chief Inspector, which aired for 18 years, and Chairman Kim of Yangchon-ri in MBC’s Country Diaries, Korea’s longest-running drama, which aired for 22 years. For 14 years, he hosted Korean Cuisine and Dining, sharing the stories of lives reflected in simple food. He received the Magnolia Medal of the National Order of Merit in 1998 and the Silver Crown Order of Cultural Merit in 2014. After his death, the government posthumously awarded him the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit, the highest honor in the cultural and arts fields.


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