[Edaily Reporter Gim Ga Yeong ] A steady stream of mourners continues to visit the funeral hall of the late Choi Bul-am (real name Choi Young-han), including actors Oh Ji-myeong (real name Oh Jin-hong), Kim Ji-young, and Nam Seong-jin.

Oh Ji-myeong, who visited the late actor’s wake at the Seoul Asan Hospital funeral home in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 31st of last month, said after paying his respects, “Choi Bul-am was my closest friend,” adding, “I should have died first—I’m sorry.” Oh Ji-myeong, who had maintained a friendship with the late actor for 60 years, expressed his sorrow, saying, “We used to joke about who would go first—you or me—but Bul-am ended up leaving first.”
The two appeared together on stage in the 1965 play *Daffodils* and also starred together in the January 1966 play *Lee Sun-shin*. In 2004, Choi Bul-am appeared in the film *Don’t Mess Around*, directed by Oh Ji-myeong, demonstrating their special friendship.
Kim Ji-young, who shared a long-standing bond with him through the MBC drama “Country Diary,” expressed her condolences, saying, “He was truly a very precious and cherished person to us, and it’s so heartbreaking that we won’t be able to see him again,” adding, “I will pray that he rests in peace.”
Nam Seong-jin, who played the late actor’s grandson, expressed his sorrow, saying, “He was like a towering mountain,” and added, “Beyond his life as an actor, he was like a mentor who taught us so much.”
Song Il-guk, who had also appeared in a minor role on *Country Diary*, paid tribute, saying, “For over 40 years, the teacher, who stood by children in need, used to say that an actor’s dignity is perfected through life—and he demonstrated this by living it out.” He added, “I will strive to carry on the teacher’s warm heart and spirit of generosity.”
Former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon, who served as a member of the funeral committee, said after paying his respects, “The teacher would often deliberately wear somewhat shabby clothes when going out, believing that ‘I must not make the public feel uncomfortable.’” “Even in his portrait, he has that face with a warm smile, so even after his passing, I still thought, ‘Choi Bul-am is Choi Bul-am.’”
Shin Jang-sik, leader of the Jooguk Innovation Party, also visited the funeral hall, saying, “He was the detective chief who protected the safety of ordinary citizens, the chairman of Yangchon-ri, and the ‘Father of the Nation’ who safeguarded the Korean people’s dining tables,” and added, “I hope that even in heaven, he will continue to comfort the hearts of our people with his warm smile.”
The late actor passed away on the 29th while receiving treatment at a hospital in Gangseo-gu, Seoul.
Mourners continued to pay their respects even on the second day after the wake was set up. Among those who visited were Kim Ji-young and Nam Seong-jin, who co-starred in “Country Diary”—Korea’s longest-running drama, which aired for 22 years—as well as Song Il-gook, Song Seung-heon, Lee Jeong-seop, Kim Heung-guk, former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon, and former People Power Party Emergency Committee Chairman Kim Jong-in.
The wake for the deceased was held at the Seoul Asan Hospital Funeral Home in Songpa-gu. The funeral service is scheduled to take place privately at 7:40 a.m. on the 2nd.