South Korean actor Choi Bul-am, long loved by audiences as the country's 'national father' for his warm, dependable roles on television, has died at the age of 86. Broadcasting sources said he died at about 10 p.m. on October 29 at a hospital in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, where he had been receiving inpatient treatment.
Choi had stepped back from acting after undergoing back surgery for a herniated disc last year. Afterward his mobility became limited, and his health had reportedly worsened recently, keeping him away from work. Born in Incheon under the name Choi Yeong-han, he graduated from Joongang High School in Seoul and studied theater and film at Seorabeol Arts University and Hanyang University, where he trained in the drama and film department.
Choi made his debut in 1959 in the stage production of Hamlet staged by the experimental theater company Silhum Theatre. He joined the National Theater Company of Korea in 1965 as a member of its company, beginning his full-time acting career. In 1967 he was recruited as a television actor by Seoul Central Broadcasting, the predecessor of KBS, starting a screen career that would span decades and move between stage, television and film.
His best-known television roles include Park Young-han, the detective chief in MBC's crime drama Investigation Team Leader, known in Korean as Susa Banjang; Chairman Kim in the long-running rural family drama Jeonwon Diary; and Captain Park in the romance series Dae-geu Geu-rigo Na. In his forties he played former president Syngman Rhee in the dramas First Republic and Second Republic, a portrayal that drew wide attention to his range beyond the warm family figures for which he was best known.
Choi also worked actively in film, appearing in a number of movies over his career alongside his television work. The source material describes his stage, screen and television output as a single body of work that made him one of the most familiar faces in Korean entertainment for several generations of viewers.
Choi's death drew immediate attention from the Korean press, with major outlets including Chosun Ilbo, Munhwa Ilbo and the Korea Daily reporting on his passing and retelling his life and career. Those reports centered on the same themes: his long association with family-oriented drama and the public affection that followed him through decades of roles. Tributes from the industry and fans are expected to focus on the character of 'Choi Bul-am' as a symbol of paternal warmth, a reputation built across generations of viewers.