![[Captured from Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young's Instagram]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/13/news-p.v1.20260613.f4a258ce92534e37b286cdb6f9740462_P1.jpg)
Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young visited actor Choi Bool-am, 86, who has been the subject of health concerns, to wish him a speedy recovery.
The minister shared a photo of himself at the actor's bedside on his Instagram on Saturday, writing that he had "paid a respectful visit to our 'national father' Choi Bool-am, who is hospitalized due to health problems."
The visit took place Thursday, with Mo Eun-young, head of the Korean Film Archive, accompanying the minister. Choi Bool-am's wife, actor Kim Min-ja, was also present.
"Choi Bool-am spoke warmly to me about everything from current affairs to art and religion, and gave me a great deal of encouragement," the minister said. "He greeted me with his signature 'pa-ha' laugh, which put me very much at ease."
The minister added that Choi Bool-am had suggested they share a drink once he is discharged. "I didn't hesitate — I asked him to buy me makgeolli," he wrote.
He also said the actor broke into a broad smile when the conversation turned to "Eunseong," a tavern once run by Choi Bool-am's mother. "Eunseong was a place long known as a hideout for struggling artists," the minister added.
Choi Bool-am has been hospitalized for rehabilitation after a herniated disc operation last year left him with limited mobility, prompting him to step down from "Koreans' Table," a KBS 1TV cultural affairs program he had hosted for 14 years.
paq@heraldcorp.com
