Veteran actor Choi Bul-am, 86, has dismissed recent reports suggesting his health is failing.
Choi’s son told Yonhap News on March 11 that his father is currently hospitalized and undergoing rehabilitation. “He’s recovering and is expected to be discharged soon,” he said.
The son added that one reason Choi stepped down from last year’s season of "Koreans' Table" was lingering back problems. Walking became difficult, so Choi underwent surgery and has been in rehabilitation. He is expected to be released from the hospital shortly.
In a recent phone interview with Munhwa Ilbo, Choi himself provided an update, saying he is receiving rehabilitation. “What is there to see?” he asked. “Maybe people worry because they haven’t seen me. People in this country pay a lot of attention to others. Still, I appreciate that they remember and think of me.”
He added that he hopes to resume activities soon and is working hard in treatment to make that happen. “Thank you for your concern,” he said.
After undergoing surgery for a herniated disc last year, Choi’s mobility declined and he stepped away from "Koreans' Table," a show he had hosted for 14 years. He largely stayed out of the public eye and did not appear on broadcasts for about a year.
Comments from younger colleagues recently sparked speculation that his condition had taken a turn for the worse.
On a broadcast, actor Park Eun-soo said, “Many senior colleagues who don’t have much time left are passing away or are in poor condition. Senior Choi Bul-am isn’t well either. Overall, the seniors’ health isn’t good, so I don’t know what to say.”
Actor Baek Il-seob also said, “I haven’t heard from Bul-am lately, and he hasn’t been answering his phone. I can’t keep pestering him with questions, but I’m really worried.”
Despite the rumors, Choi is reportedly preparing a comeback and is currently filming a documentary with MBC. The network confirmed that filming is underway but declined to disclose the subject or the broadcast schedule.
Born in 1940, Choi made his debut on stage in 1959 in Hamlet. He joined the National Theater Company in 1965 and began acting full-time. In 1967, he was hired by Seoul Central Broadcasting (now KBS) as part of the network’s sixth special recruitment class and made his TV debut as Kim Jong-seo in the historical drama Suyang Daegun.
He later moved to MBC and became a household name through long-running series such as Chief Inspector, in which he played Captain Park Young-han, and Rural Diary, where he portrayed Chairman Kim of Yangchon-ri. In addition to acting, Choi hosted current-affairs and cultural programs for many years, including KBS’s Good Country Movement Headquarters from 1999 to 2008 and "Koreans' Table" from 2011 until March of last year.
