MBC to air tribute documentary ‘Paha, This Is Choi Bool-am’ for ‘Korea’s beloved father’

MBC will rebroadcast a documentary honoring the late “beloved actor” Choi Bool-am and reflecting on his life and acting career.

MBC announced on Oct. 30 that it will air a special encore of Parts 1 and 2 of the tribute documentary 〈Paha, This Is Choi Bool-am〉 at 8:40 p.m. on Oct. 30 and 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 1, respectively. The documentary, which originally aired in May, is being rebroadcast in memory of the late actor. It looks back on his decades-long career in a playlist-like format, set to music.

The program explores the “clown’s spirit” that Choi emphasized throughout his life: sharing the burdens of ordinary people and offering them comfort. When the documentary was being planned, Choi expressed his heartfelt wish to “thank the viewers who have loved me for so long. That is the heart of a clown.” Fellow and younger actors who worked with him over the years, including Park Geun-hyung, Go Doo-shim, Park Sang-won, Chae Shi-ra and Jung Kyung-ho, will recall warm memories of their time with him, bringing viewers a deeply moving tribute.

Choi, who left a distinct mark on Korean broadcasting, died at about 10 p.m. on Oct. 29 while receiving inpatient treatment at a hospital in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. He was 87. His funeral is being held at the funeral hall of Asan Medical Center in Seoul, where visitors have been paying their respects since the morning of Oct. 30. In honor of his lifelong dedication to protecting the rights and interests of children and teenagers, the funeral will be held under the auspices of ChildFund Korea and will last five days.