Kim Ji-young's outfit at the funeral [Online community]
Kim Ji-young's outfit at the funeral [Online community]

The outfit actor Kim Ji-young wore to pay respects to the late Choi Bool-am has sparked a debate online.

Kim Ji-young and her husband Nam Sung-jin visited Choi's funeral home at Asan Medical Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on Thursday.

Kim played the character "Bokgil" in MBC's long-running drama series "Jeonwon Ilgi," one of Choi's signature works, while Nam played "Yeongnam," the grandson of Choi's character "Chairman Kim." The two met through the show and later married.

"He was someone truly precious and dear to us, and it is heartbreaking to know we will never see him again," Kim said in an interview at the funeral home. "I will pray that he rests in peace."

Kim turned away in tears after speaking, and Nam gently patted her on the back to comfort her.

Some online users, however, found fault with the moment — specifically with what Kim was wearing.

Kim had arrived at the funeral home in a black leather jacket, dark gray jeans, white sneakers and a bag with a gold chain strap.

Others pushed back, calling the criticism overblown. "What matters is the sincerity of your grief, not what you wear," some wrote, while others noted she was dressed in black and saw nothing wrong with that. Several commenters dismissed the criticism as needlessly petty.

Choi Bool-am died Thursday night at around 10:30 p.m. at a hospital in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, while receiving treatment. He was 87. His funeral was held over five days under the auspices of ChildFund Korea, with the funeral procession and memorial mass taking place Monday. He was laid to rest at Donghwa Gyeongmo Park in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.


paq@heraldcorp.com