▲ Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Whee-young visits actor Choi Bul-am in the hospital.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Whee-young visited actor Choi Bul-am (86), who is currently hospitalized, to wish him a speedy recovery.
Minister Choi shared the news on his social media account today (June 13), stating, "I visited our 'national father,' Choi Bul-am, to pay my respects."
Choi Bul-am's wife, actress Kim Min-ja, who has been by his side in the hospital, was also present.
"Mr. Choi shared many stories with me, ranging from current events to art and religion, and offered me warm encouragement," the Minister said. "I felt very relieved to see him greet me with his signature 'haha' laugh."
Minister Choi added, "Mr. Choi suggested that we have a drink together once he is discharged. I didn't hesitate to ask him to treat me to some makgeolli (Korean rice wine)."
He further noted, "He beamed with a bright smile when I brought up 'Eunseong,' the tavern once run by his mother. 'Eunseong' was known long ago as a hideout for impoverished artists."
Minister Choi also mentioned that he presented Choi Bul-am with a Blu-ray copy of the film 'The Last Witness' (1980).
The film, which stars Choi Bul-am, was originally produced with a runtime of 158 minutes in 1980, but a significant portion was cut due to censorship, and it was released in a rushed edit against the director's wishes.
The Korean Film Archive later restored the original footage and released a 154-minute version in 2003, which was subsequently issued on Blu-ray in 2017.
"Mr. Choi won the Best Actor award at the 1st Korean Association of Film Critics Awards for this film," the Minister wrote. "He was very pleased when Kim Moon-young, Director of the Korean Film Archive, presented him with this Blu-ray as a memento."
After undergoing surgery for a herniated disc last year, Choi Bul-am experienced mobility issues, leading him to step down from KBS 1TV's current affairs program 'Korean Cuisine,' which he had hosted for 14 years, to focus on rehabilitation in the hospital.
(Photo: Courtesy of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.