National Assembly Speaker Jo Jeong-sik [Yonhap]
National Assembly Speaker Jo Jeong-sik [Yonhap]

National Assembly Speaker Jo Jeong-sik expressed condolences Friday over the death of actor Choi Bool-am, widely known as the nation's father figure.

Writing on Facebook that day, Jo recalled Choi's decades-long career. "Throughout 67 years as a performer, Teacher Choi laughed and cried alongside the public — on stage and on the small screen," Jo said. "As Inspector Park, as Chairman Kim of Yangchon-ri, and on the road visiting dinner tables across the country, Choi was always by the side of the people."

Jo noted that Choi called himself a "clown," but said the life Choi led was "deeper and warmer than anyone else's." "For more than 40 years, Choi supported children in need, and gave young people in correctional facilities the strength to stand again through music and theater," Jo said.

"His unwavering passion for his craft, his warmth toward younger generations, and his care for those struggling in our society — Teacher Choi was a true elder of our time," Jo said. "I pay my deepest respects to the life he lived."

Jo added that Choi's laughter still echoes. "That laughter, which comforted us at the end of a weary day, is something I will carry with me for a long time," Jo said.


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