Late Korean TV icon Choi Bul-am requested documentary chronicle his life amid illness
Summary
Actor Choi Bul-am asked a documentary production team to chronicle his life while he was receiving treatment in 2025. MBC’s documentary Paha, This Is Choi Bul-am first aired in May this year and was rebroadcast Friday in tribute after his death on Thursday at a hospital in Gangseo District, Seoul. He was 87. Choi’s funeral is being held over five days, with the procession scheduled for Monday.
Key Facts
- The documentary revisited Choi’s life and acting career through music in the format of a radio documentary.
- Choi reportedly had difficulty moving after undergoing surgery for a herniated disc last year and continued rehabilitation treatment.
- Choi made his stage debut in Hamlet in 1959 and joined KBS as a special-recruitment actor in 1967, appearing in the television drama Prince Suyang.
- He became widely known for television series including Chief Inspector and Country Diaries, and hosted the food documentary A Korean Table for 14 years.
Actor was known for portraying fatherly figures in Korean TV dramas
A memorial altar is set up for actor Choi Bool-am, known for his iconic portrayals of father figures in Korean dramas, at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, Oct. 30. Yonhap
The late actor Choi Bul-am asked for a documentary to be made about his life while he was battling illness, it has belatedly been revealed.
MBC aired a special encore broadcast of its documentary, "Paha, This Is Choi Bul-am," on Friday. Originally broadcast in May this year, the program revisits Choi's life and acting career through music in the format of a radio documentary. It was rebroadcast in tribute to the actor, who passed away on Thursday.
During the program, viewers learned that Choi had personally approached the production team to request the documentary. According to an on-screen caption, "In 2025, while already undergoing treatment, actor Choi Bul-am called the production team himself and asked them to make a program that would look back on his life."
The caption continued, "In response to his request, this documentary was broadcast in May this year, while he was still alive."
Choi died at around 10 p.m. on Thursday at a hospital in Gangseo District, Seoul, where he had been receiving inpatient treatment. He was 87.
Following surgery for a herniated disc last year, Choi reportedly experienced difficulty moving around and continued to receive rehabilitation treatment.
Choi Bool-am / Korea Times file
His memorial altar has been set up at Asan Medical Center in eastern Seoul. The funeral is being held over five days. His funeral procession is scheduled for Monday.
Choi began his acting career in 1959, making his stage debut in a production of Shakespeare's "Hamlet." In 1967, he was selected as a special-recruitment actor for KBS and appeared in the television drama "Prince Suyang."
He went on to become one of Korea's most beloved actors through iconic television series such as "Chief Inspector" and "Country Diaries." He also hosted the popular food documentary program "A Korean Table" for 14 years, connecting with viewers across the country.
Choi Bool-am, right, and Kim Hye-ja portrayed an elderly married couple in rural Korea for the MBC television drama "Country Diaries" for more than 20 years. Courtesy of MBC
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.
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