Kim Hye-soo organizes mourners' shoes, Yoo Dong-gin pays respects in work clothes, Kim Yong-geon absent… Faces who visited the late Choi Bul-am's wake [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The wake of the late actor Choi Bul-am saw a continuous stream of visits from entertainment industry colleagues with whom he had long-standing ties. Kim Hye-soo kept vigil at the wake for three days, staying by the side of the bereaved family, while Yoo Dong-gin took time out even during filming to pay his respects to the late actor. Kim Yong-geon was unable to attend due to unavoidable circumstances and conveyed his regret.

The late Choi Bul-am passed away around 10 p.m. on the 29th of last month at a hospital in Gwangseo-gu, Seoul, while receiving inpatient treatment. He was 87 years old. The wake was set up at the Asan Medical Center funeral home in Seoul, and it began accepting mourners from 10 a.m. on the 30th.

Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea; former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum; former Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoo In-chon; current Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young; Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon; former Executive Committee Chair of the Busan International Film Festival Kim Dong-ho; actors Na Moon-hee, Kim Sung-hwan, Cha In-pyo, Park Eun-soo, Kim Hye-soo, Kang Seok-woo, Im Hyun-sik, Lee Hong-ryeol, Lee Gae-in, Lee Kyung-jin, Yang Tae-jo, Go Doo-sim, Kim Hye-ja, and Yoon Yeo-jung; singer Jin Sung; hanbok designer Park Sul-nyo; model Lee Hyun-i; and others visited the wake in person to bid farewell to the late actor.

The most eye-catching mourner was Kim Hye-soo. She visited the funeral home every day for three days, starting from the first day the wake was set up, keeping vigil by the side of the bereaved family.

Kim Hye-soo was also captured guiding mourners with her eyes swollen from crying. She was seen bowing 90 degrees to see off mourners and kneeling on the floor to help organize shoes. She also supported the late actor's wife, Kim Min-ja, staying by her side.

Kim Hye-soo had maintained a long-standing relationship with the Choi Bul-am and Kim Min-ja couple, having first worked with them as mother and daughter in the 1987 drama "Lament for a Mother."

Yoo Dong-gin also visited the wake to pay his respects despite a busy filming schedule. He visited the funeral home after finishing late-night work on a production. His appearance at the wake, without changing out of the work clothes he had been wearing on set, drew attention.

On the other hand, Kim Yong-geon, who had worked with the late Choi Bul-am in "Country Diary," was unable to visit the wake. News of Kim's absence was relayed through his colleague Baek Il-sub.

After finishing his visit, Baek told reporters, "(Kim) Yong-geon should have come too, but isn't his son (Ha Jung-woo) getting married next month? He called me," adding, "So I told him not to come."

Ha Jung-woo, Kim Yong-geon's eldest son and an actor, is set to marry influencer Cha Jeong-won, who is 11 years his junior, on December 13.

Regarding this, Kim conveyed through a media outlet, "I was unable to visit the wake due to unavoidable circumstances, as I was dissuaded by those around me who said it would be best not to go to the funeral home ahead of a family event," adding, "My feelings are indescribably mixed because I could not see off his passing."

Meanwhile, the late Choi Bul-am stepped down from KBS 1TV's informational program "Korean Table," which he had hosted for 14 years since 2011, after becoming mobility-impaired due to a herniated disc last year. He subsequently focused on rehabilitation, but his health deteriorated rapidly recently, leading to his death.

The late Choi Bul-am debuted in the 1959 play "Hamlet." He gained great love as a "national actor" through roles such as the righteous Captain Park Young-han in the MBC drama "Detective Squad" and Chairman Kim of Yangchon-ri in "Country Diary."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original