Actor and former lawmaker Choi Bool-am dies at 87

Choi Bool-am, the actor known for his roles in the television dramas Chief Inspector and Country Diary, died Thursday at a hospital in Seoul's Gangseo District, The Korea Times reported. He was 87.

Choi's career spanned theater, television dramas and food documentaries, alongside a term in the legislature. His credits included Country Diary, which The Korea Times described as Korea's longest-running television drama.

Citing media reports, The Korea Times said Choi died at about 10 p.m. at the hospital where he had been receiving treatment. The report did not specify a cause of death.

Choi developed mobility difficulties after spinal disc surgery in March 2025 and left KBS TV's food documentary program Korean Cuisine and Dining. He had hosted it for 14 years beginning in 2011. His health worsened rapidly in recent days despite rehabilitation, according to the newspaper.

Born Choi Young-han in Incheon in 1939, he was entered into family records in 1940. He graduated from Seorabeol University of Arts and Hanyang University's Department of Theater and Film, the newspaper reported.

His acting career began with a production of Hamlet in 1959. He joined the National Theater Company of Korea in 1965 before moving into television in 1967. He portrayed Chief Inspector Park Young-han in MBC's Chief Inspector, which ran from 1971 to 1989, and a village leader in MBC's Country Diary, which aired from 1980 to 2002.

Outside acting, Choi served as a proportional representative lawmaker for the Unification National Party from 1992 to 1996, according to The Korea Times.

Choi is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter, according to The Korea Times.