(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Park Won-hee = “He was both a father and a teacher.” (Actress Kim Ji-young)
“He was like a very big mountain. He was like a teacher who taught us many things beyond the life of an actor.” (Actor Nam Seong-jin)
The visit to the funeral home of actor Choi Bul-am, the 'father of the nation' who passed away on the 29th, continued for the second day.
A variety of people who had ties to the deceased, including fellow actors, politicians, and business people, visited and paid tribute to the deceased.
◇ From ‘Pastoral Diary’ to ‘The Age of Heroes’… “It’s nice on the eyes.”
Following Kim Hye-ja, Yoo In-chon, Go Doo-shim, and Lim Ho the previous day, fellow actors from Korea's longest-running drama MBC's 'Country Diary' (1980-2002) visited the funeral hall of Asan Medical Center in Seoul on the 31st.
Kim Ji-young and Nam Seong-jin worked together with the deceased in 'Country Diary' as Bok-gil and Yeong-nam. The two people who were lovers in the drama got married in real life and became a hot topic.
The two actors remembered that they received a lot of teachings from the deceased.
Kim Ji-young said with tears in her eyes, "He was such a precious and precious person to us, and now I am so sad that we can't see him again. I will pray that he rests in peace."
Nam Nam-jin said, “I still can’t believe it,” and expressed his wish, “I hope that everyone will remember him as a great adult who set an example for everyone, always shared his warm heart, and took care of everyone.”
Song Il-gook, who appeared in a small role in 'Pastoral Diary' during his MBC talent days, also visited the funeral. He serves as a public relations ambassador for the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation, of which the deceased served as the national support chairman during his lifetime.
Song Il-gook said, "The teacher who has been by the side of children in need for over 40 years said that the quality of an actor is perfected through life, and you have shown it through your actions. I will work hard to continue the teacher's warm heart and spirit of sharing."
Actors who worked together in other works besides ‘Country Diary’ also visited the funeral.
Song Seung-heon remembered the deceased, with whom he played a father-son relationship in the drama 'You and I' (1997-1998), as a warm person.
Song Seung-heon said, "He was like heaven to me, who was lacking because it was no different from my first drama," and added, "I still remember how he treated me warmly and comfortably. I think the many works and laughter he left behind will forever remain as good memories in the people and my heart."
Actor Jeong Han-yong, who played father and son with the deceased in the dramas 'The Man with His Head Bowed' (1991) and 'The Age of Heroes' (2004-2005), said, "I heard they got along well as father and son, so we were always close. (The deceased when he was alive) is nice to the eyes. I still can't believe he is dead."
◇ “I’m sorry for living longer” · “Big star in the entertainment industry”… Senior figures also stand in front of the portrait.
Actor Oh Ji-myeong introduced his relationship with the deceased, starting from high school to performing on stage in plays and working as a special talent recruiter at KBS.
Oh Ji-myeong said, "He was my best friend," and said, "I thought I would die first, but this friend came first... I'm sorry I lived a little longer."
Actor Lee Jeong-seop recalled his first memory of seeing the deceased in the play ‘Without the pain of cracking the skin.’ He shed tears, saying, "It's been 65 years since I saw you act. I saw you for the first time when I was a freshman in high school," and added, "He's the epitome of an actor and a symbol of acting, but it's a shame. I thought he would wake up, but I'm quite sad."
Singer Kim Heung-guk said, "Every time I saw him in the dressing room or at another event, he seemed kind." He expressed his sadness by saying, "If all the big stars in the Korean entertainment industry leave one by one, I don't know who will take care of the broadcast."
Director Lee Jang-ho, who worked with the deceased on the films 'Yesterday's Rain' (1974) and 'A Nice Windy Day' (1980), recalled how the deceased's mother often visited 'Eunseong', a bar she ran in Myeong-dong.
Director Lee said, "I thought he would enjoy a lifeless life, but in the end he went to God's side," and added, "Because he did his best before leaving, he will remain in the hearts of the people as an unforgettable actor."
In addition, actors Jung Jun-ho, Kim Mi-sook, Kim Chang-sook, Jeong Young-sook, Kim Dong-hyun, and Lee Dong-jun visited and paid tribute to the deceased.
◇ Politicians and business figures also took steps… “The person who enjoyed soju the most.”
People active in other fields, including politics, business, and sports, also stood in front of the portrait of the deceased.
Former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon, a member of the deceased's funeral committee, remembered the deceased as a generous and generous person both in public and private settings. He recalled the memory of drinking soju together in private and said that the deceased was "the person who enjoyed soju the most."
Former Prime Minister Lee also mentioned that the portrait photo shows the deceased unshaven, and said, "When going out, the teacher deliberately wore shabby clothes, or lived with the thought that 'I shouldn't make the people feel uncomfortable' or 'I shouldn't shine in nice clothes.'" He added, "(In the portrait photo), he had that warm smile on his face, so even after he passed away, I thought, 'Bul-Am Choi is Bul-Am Choi.'"
Kim Jong-in, former chairman of the People Power Party's emergency response committee, mentioned the relationship between the deceased and the deceased as they were classmates at Jungang Middle School in Seoul. It is said that former Chairman Kim only realized later that Choi Bul-am was a classmate due to his long study abroad.
Former Chairman Kim said, "He is a very gentle and affectionate person," and "I didn't know his changed face, so I only contacted him for a long time after checking it later." “He was a friend who achieved great success in the field he pursued,” he remembered.
After passing the bar exam, People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Young-se went to a broadcasting station for training and shared memories of meeting the deceased, who was filming 'Pastoral Diary' at the time, and a time when he visited the deceased while preparing for the National Assembly election in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul.
Rep. Kwon said, “I started politics in Yeongdeungpo. So, I visited the teacher and received a lot of advice,” he recalled.
People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won recalled the relationship she had with the deceased while working at the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation. Representative Na said, “Teacher Choi Bul-am had a deep love for children and the underprivileged,” and added, “It was not only his acting, but his life itself that resonated with the people.”
Shin Jang-sik, leader of the Fatherland Innovation Party, said, "He was the head of the investigation team who protected the safety of our common people, the chairman of Yangchon-ri, and the father of the people who protected the dinner tables of Koreans. I hope that he will always embrace the hearts of our people with a warm smile even in heaven."
Hyundai Motor Company Chairman Chung Eui-sun, former lawmaker Jeong Dae-cheol, former lawmaker Hong Moon-jong, Booyoung Group Chairman Lee Jung-geun, and former baseball player Park Chan-ho also visited the funeral.
The deceased passed away at the age of 87 on the night of the 29th while receiving treatment at a hospital in Gangseo-gu, Seoul.
The deceased had to withdraw from KBS 1TV's current affairs and culture program 'Korean's Table' due to difficulty moving after undergoing surgery for a lumbar disc in March of last year. It has been reported that the deceased, who has been working hard on rehabilitation since then, has recently seen his health deteriorate rapidly.
The funeral will be held by the ‘Green Umbrella Children’s Foundation’. A funeral committee was formed, chaired by Green Umbrella Children's Foundation Chairman Hwang Young-ki and including former Prime Ministers Lee Soo-seong and Lee Nak-yeon, former lawmaker Hong Moon-jong, Father Kim Seong-eong, National Assembly Legislative Policy Research Association Secretary-General Han Il-soo, and CEO Yang Ok-kyung.
The funeral will be held at 7:40 a.m. on the 2nd of next month. Then, at 9 a.m., a funeral mass will be held at Yeouido Cathedral in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, with Cardinal Yeom Soo-jeong officiating, and then move to the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation at 10:40 a.m. The burial site is Dongwha Gyeongmo Park.
