Family, fellow actors bid farewell to iconic actor Choi Bool-am

Choi Bool-am’s family and fellow actors gathered at a private funeral service at Asan Medical Center in southeastern Seoul on Monday. The 87-year-old actor died Thursday while receiving treatment at a hospital in western Seoul. A funeral Mass and farewell event were planned before he was laid to rest at a memorial park in Paju. He was known for roles in Chief Inspector and Country Diaries and was posthumously awarded the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit on Friday.

Choi’s real name was Choi Young-han, and he was born in Incheon in 1939.

His wife, actor Kim Min-ja, attended the service, accompanied by Kim Hye-soo, who had been with the bereaved family since the first day of the funeral service.

Actors Song Il-kook and Shin Hyun-joon also attended the funeral service.

Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, former archbishop of Seoul, was set to preside over the funeral Mass.

Choi devoted himself for decades to promoting the rights of children and youth through the Chorogusan for Children foundation.

Published Nov 2, 2026 10:37 am KST

A memorial altar for late actor Choi Bool-am is seen at a funeral hall at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

A funeral service for Choi Bool-am was held Monday, with his family and fellow actors paying their respects to the iconic actor, known for portraying paternal figures in popular television dramas.

Choi, whose real name was Choi Young-han, died Thursday while receiving treatment at a hospital in western Seoul. He was 87.

His longtime wife, Kim Min-ja, also an actor, was seen in tears, following the funeral service held privately at Asan Medical Center in southeastern Seoul.

Kim was accompanied by actor Kim Hye-soo, who had stayed alongside Choi's bereaved family since the first day of the funeral service.

Also attending the service were actors Song Il-kook and Shin Hyun-joon.

A funeral Mass was set to take place at a cathedral in western Seoul, presided over by Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, former archbishop of Seoul.

Later in the day, a farewell event will take place at the headquarters of the Chorogusan for Children foundation, where Choi had devoted himself to promoting the rights of children and youth for decades, before the late actor is laid to rest at a memorial park in Paju, north of Seoul.

Born in Incheon in 1939, Choi became a household name through his role as detective Park Young-han in MBC's long-running crime drama, "Chief Inspector," and as the village foreman in the rural family drama "Country Diaries," Korea's longest-running television series.

Tributes have poured in for the beloved actor, who boasts a career of nearly seven decades, with actors, politicians and police officials paying respect.

On Friday, he was posthumously awarded the Geumgwan (Gold Crown) Order of Cultural Merit, Korea's highest cultural decoration, in recognition of his lifelong contributions to Korean television, film and theater.

周一，崔佛岩的家人和演艺界同仁齐聚首尔东南部的峨山医疗中心，参加他的私人葬礼。这位87岁的演员于上周四在首尔西部一家医院接受治疗期间去世。葬礼弥撒和告别仪式原定于周四举行，之后他的遗体将被安葬在坡州的一座纪念公园。崔佛岩曾出演过《督察》和《乡村日记》等剧集，并于上周五被追授金冠文化勋章。

崔的真名是崔英汉，1939年出生于仁川。

他的妻子，演员金敏子，出席了追悼会，陪同她的是金惠秀，她从葬礼的第一天起就一直陪伴在丧亲家属身边。

演员宋一国和申贤俊也出席了葬礼。

首尔前总主教廉洙正枢机主教原定主持葬礼弥撒。

崔某数十年来一直致力于通过“初老山儿童基金会”促进儿童和青少年的权利。

发布于2026年11月2日上午10:37（韩国标准时间）

周五，在首尔峨山医疗中心的殡仪馆内，已故演员崔佛岩的追悼台被摆放出来。（韩联社）

崔佛岩的葬礼于周一举行，他的家人和演艺界同仁向这位因在热门电视剧中扮演父亲角色而闻名的标志性演员致敬。

崔永汉（原名崔永汉）于周四在首尔西部一家医院接受治疗期间去世，享年87岁。

在首尔东南部峨山医疗中心举行的私人葬礼结束后，他的妻子金敏子（也是一名演员）被看到泪流满面。

金某与演员金惠秀一同出席，金惠秀从葬礼第一天起就一直陪伴在崔某的家人身边。

出席追悼会的还有演员宋一国和申贤俊。

葬礼弥撒将在首尔西部的一座大教堂举行，由首尔前总主教廉洙正枢机主教主持。

当天晚些时候，将在崔顺实生前致力于促进儿童和青少年权益的初老山儿童基金会总部举行告别仪式，之后这位已故演员将被安葬在首尔以北坡州的纪念公园。

崔顺实 1939 年出生于仁川，他因在 MBC 长寿犯罪剧《总督察》中饰演刑警朴英汉，以及在韩国播出时间最长的电视剧《乡村日记》中饰演村长而家喻户晓。

这位深受爱戴的演员拥有近七十年的演艺生涯，他的离世引发了各界人士的悼念，演员、政界人士和警官都表达了敬意。

周五，他被追授韩国最高文化勋章——金冠勋章，以表彰他毕生对韩国电视、电影和戏剧的贡献。