South Korean actor Choi Bool-am, widely known as the nation's father figure for his portrayals of paternal characters in popular television dramas, has died, his family said Friday. He was 87.
Choi, whose real name was Choi Young-han, died at around 10 p.m. Thursday while receiving treatment at a hospital in western Seoul, according to his family.
The actor had experienced difficulties walking after undergoing surgery for a herniated disc in March last year, prompting him to step down as host of the KBS documentary program "Korean Food Table," which he had hosted for 14 years since 2011.
Born in Incheon in 1939, Choi studied theater and film at Sorabol College of Arts and Hanyang University. He made his stage debut in a production of "Hamlet" in 1959 before joining the National Theater Company of Korea in 1965.
He began his television career in 1967 after joining Seoul Central Broadcasting, the predecessor of KBS.
Choi became a household name through his role as detective Park Young-han in MBC's long-running crime drama "Chief Inspector," which aired from 1971 to 1989.
He cemented his reputation as a Korean father figure through his role in MBC's rural family drama "Country Diaries," which ran for 22 years from 1980 to 2002, one of South Korea's longest-running television series.
Choi briefly entered politics in 1992, serving as a proportional representation lawmaker in the 14th National Assembly from 1992 to 1996 under the Unification National Party.(Yonhap)
