[Edaily Reporter Gim Ga Yeong ] Popera tenor Lim Hyung-joo, who shared a special bond with the late Choi Bul-am (real name Choi Young-han) during his lifetime, will pay his respects to the deceased.

According to a source close to Im Hyung-ju on the 31st, he will sing “Ave Maria” at the funeral Mass for the late Choi Bul-am, to be held on the morning of the 2nd of next month at Yeouido Cathedral in Seoul. The funeral Mass will be presided over by Cardinal Yeom Soo-jeong.
Lim Hyung-joo is known to have maintained a particularly close relationship with the late Choi Bul-am and his wife, Kim Min-ja. He even referred to the late Choi Bul-am as his “uncle-in-law.” The Choi couple attended Lim Hyung-joo’s performances, and when Lim made his radio DJ debut on CPBC FM’s “Songs for You by Lim Hyung-joo,” Choi Bul-am sent a congratulatory message.
After the news of his passing broke, Im Hyung-joo expressed his grief on social media, writing, “I can’t believe it. All I can do is cry,” and added, “I never imagined that the greeting I exchanged during a hospital visit a few months ago would be a final farewell.”
The late Choi Bul-am passed away around 10 p.m. on the 29th while receiving inpatient treatment at a hospital in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. He had undergone surgery for a herniated disc last March and was undergoing rehabilitation, but it is reported that his health recently deteriorated, leading to his passing.
The wake for the deceased has been set up at the Seoul Asan Hospital Funeral Home in Songpa-gu. The funeral will be conducted by the Green Umbrella Children’s Foundation, and the funeral procession will depart at 7:40 a.m. on the 2nd of next month.