Tributes pour in for iconic actor Choi Bool-am, gov't bestows highest cultural merit award

Veteran actor Choi Bool-am died at a hospital in Gangseo District, Seoul, on Thursday at age 87, and was posthumously awarded the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit on Friday. President Lee Jae Myung and entertainment figures paid tribute to Choi, remembered for defining Korean television across a 67-year career. He also supported vulnerable young people and hosted a food documentary series for 14 years. His funeral service is scheduled for 7 a.m. on Monday.

Choi was born Choi Young-han in Incheon in 1939 and made his acting debut in a 1959 production of Hamlet.

He joined the National Theater Company of Korea in 1965 and became widely known as Chief Inspector Park Young-han in MBC’s Chief Inspector, which ran from 1971 to 1989.

Choi played a village patriarch in MBC’s Country Diary, which ran from 1980 to 2002 and was described as the country’s longest-running television series.

Since 1985, Choi had headed the national support committee for the ChorogUsan for Children foundation, and he also led Zero Camp, which helps at-risk youth and former juvenile offenders through arts education.

Choi won the Best Actor award at the 1979 Daejong Film Awards for Man-suk, Run! and served as a proportional representative lawmaker for the Unification National Party from 1992 to 1996.

Published Oct 30, 2026 5:35 pm KST

Updated Oct 30, 2026 7:29 pm KST

Choi Bool-am / Yonhap

Tributes are pouring in for veteran actor Choi Bool-am, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 87, with President Lee Jae Myung and figures within the industry honoring him as "a warm-hearted father figure" who defined Korean television for nearly seven decades.

On Friday, he was posthumously awarded the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit, the highest class of cultural honors from the Korean government, recognizing his pivotal contributions to the country's performing arts and public welfare.

"We deeply mourn the passing of Choi Bool-am, who stood by the public for generations as the father figure of our time," President Lee wrote on his social media.

"Whether playing a justice-seeking detective or a warm father, his image will remain in the hearts of the nation for a long time," Lee added, recalling Choi’s philosophy that "to become a good actor, one must first become a good human being."

Choi Bool-am, second from left, performs in a scene from MBC TV's drama "Chief Inspector." From left are actors Kim Sam-soon, Choi, Nam Sung-hoon and Cho Kyung-hwan. Courtesy of MBC

Choi, whose real name was Choi Young-han, died at around 10:30 p.m., Thursday at a hospital in Gangseo District, Seoul, after his health recently deteriorated.

His memorial altar was set up at Asan Medical Center in Seoul on Friday morning. His funeral will be organized and hosted by ChorogUsan for Children foundation.

Born in Incheon in 1939, Choi debuted in 1959 with a theater production of "Hamlet" before joining the National Theater Company of Korea in 1965. During his 67 year career, Choi became one of the most recognizable faces in Korean television history.

Choi Bool-am, right, and Kim Hye-ja in a scene from MBC TV's drama "Country Diary" / Courtesy of MBC

He gained nationwide fame as Chief Inspector Park Young-han in MBC's cop drama "Chief Inspector" (1971–1989) and as the warm-hearted village patriarch in MBC's "Country Diary" (1980–2002), the country's longest-running television series.

Choi was a father figure off-screen as well. Since 1985, he served as the national support committee head for ChorogUsan for Children, advocating for vulnerable youth both domestically and abroad.

He also led Zero Camp, a non-profit organization helping youth at risk and former juvenile offenders through arts education.

Choi Bool-am, second from left, talks about traditional northern dishes with displaced families from North Korea in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in a scene from KBS TV's food documentary "Korean Cuisine and Dining." Courtesy of KBS

Starting in 2011, he hosted KBS TV’s food documentary series "Korean Cuisine and Dining," spending 14 years traveling across the country to share ordinary people's stories through regional food until health issues forced him to step down last year.

Actor Choi Soo-jong, who took over as the host of "Korean Cuisine and Dining," paid a heartfelt tribute on social media.

"Beyond being an actor, he was a teacher who held the deepest respect for the honest sweat and daily lives of ordinary Koreans," Choi Soo-jong wrote. "It was a true privilege to laugh and cry under his massive shadow."

In addition to his prolific TV career, he starred in several films and won the Best Actor award at the Daejong Film Awards in 1979 for his performance in "Man-suk, Run!" Choi also served as a lawmaker from 1992 to 1996 as a proportional representative for the Unification National Party.

The funeral service is scheduled for 7 a.m. on Monday. His final resting place will be Donghwa Gyeongmo Park in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.

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资深演员崔佛岩于周四在首尔江西区一家医院逝世，享年87岁。周五，他被追授金冠文化勋章。韩国总统李在明和演艺界人士纷纷悼念崔佛岩，他67年的演艺生涯被誉为韩国电视界的标志性人物。此外，他还致力于帮助弱势青少年，并主持了长达14年的美食纪录片系列节目。他的葬礼将于周一早上7点举行。

崔永汉（Choi Young-han）1939年出生于仁川，1959年出演话剧《哈姆雷特》正式出道。

1965年，他加入韩国国立剧团，并在1971年至1989年播出的MBC电视剧《钦差大臣》中饰演钦差大臣朴英汉，从而广为人知。

崔在MBC电视台的电视剧《乡村日记》中饰演村长，该剧从1980年到2002年播出，被誉为韩国播出时间最长的电视剧。

自 1985 年以来，崔一直担任 ChorogUsan 儿童基金会全国支援委员会主席，他还领导了 Zero Camp，该机构通过艺术教育帮助弱势青少年和前少年罪犯。

崔东赫凭借电影《万硕，快跑！》获得 1979 年大钟电影奖最佳男演员奖，并于 1992 年至 1996 年担任统一国民党比例代表议员。

发布于2026年10月30日下午5:35（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月30日晚上7:29（韩国标准时间）

崔宝岩 / 韩联社

资深演员崔佛岩于周四去世，享年87岁，各界人士纷纷致以哀悼。韩国总统李在明和业内人士称赞他是一位“慈父般的人物”，定义了韩国电视近七十年。

周五，他被追授金冠文化勋章，这是韩国政府颁发的最高文化荣誉，以表彰他对韩国表演艺术和公共福利做出的重大贡献。

李显龙总统在社交媒体上写道：“我们对崔佛岩的逝世深感悲痛，他几代以来一直陪伴在民众身边，是这个时代的父亲形象。”

李补充道：“无论是扮演伸张正义的侦探，还是扮演慈爱的父亲，他的形象都将在国民心中长久留存。”他还回忆起崔东赫的理念：“要想成为一名优秀的演员，首先要成为一个好人。”

崔佛岩（左二）正在拍摄MBC电视剧《督察长》中的一个场景。从左至右依次为演员金三顺、崔佛岩、南成勋和赵京焕。图片由MBC提供。

崔某（原名崔英汉）于周四晚上 10 点 30 分左右在首尔江西区的一家医院去世，此前他的健康状况恶化。

他的追思祭坛于周五上午在首尔峨山医疗中心设立。他的葬礼将由ChorogUsan儿童基金会组织和举办。

崔顺实1939年出生于仁川，1959年凭借话剧《哈姆雷特》出道，1965年加入韩国国立剧团。在他长达67年的演艺生涯中，崔顺实成为韩国电视史上最知名的面孔之一。

图为崔佛岩（右）和金惠子在MBC电视剧《乡村日记》中的剧照 / 图片由MBC提供

他因在 MBC 警匪剧《督察》（1971-1989 年）中饰演督察朴英汉而名扬全国，又因在 MBC 电视剧《乡村日记》（1980-2002 年）中饰演和蔼可亲的村长而走红，该剧是韩国播出时间最长的电视剧。

崔志万在银幕之外也是一位慈父般的人物。自1985年起，他担任“儿童关爱基金会”全国支援委员会主席，致力于为国内外弱势青少年争取权益。

他还领导了 Zero Camp，这是一个非营利组织，通过艺术教育帮助处境危险的青少年和前少年罪犯。

在韩国广播公司（KBS）美食纪录片《韩国料理与餐饮》中，崔佛岩（左二）在庆尚北道荣州市与来自朝鲜的流离失所家庭交流传统北方菜肴。图片由KBS提供。

从 2011 年开始，他主持了 KBS 电视台的美食纪录片系列节目《韩国料理与餐饮》，花了 14 年时间走遍韩国各地，通过地方美食分享普通人的故事，直到去年因健康问题被迫卸任。

接任《韩国料理与餐饮》节目主持人的演员崔秀钟在社交媒体上表达了深切的悼念。

“除了是一名演员，他更是一位老师，对普通韩国人的辛勤劳动和日常生活怀有深深的敬意，”崔秀钟写道。“能够在他巨大的影响下欢笑和哭泣，真是一种莫大的荣幸。”

除了在电视领域成就斐然之外，他还出演过多部电影，并凭借在《万硕快跑！》中的出色表演，于 1979 年荣获大钟电影奖最佳男主角奖。崔顺实还于 1992 年至 1996 年担任统一国民党的比例代表议员。

葬礼定于周一早上7点举行。他的最终安葬地是京畿道坡州市东和京模公园。

著名演员崔佛岩逝世，享年87岁

李总统对资深演员崔富岩的逝世表示深切哀悼。

总理对演员崔富岩的去世表示哀悼