Minister Chae Hwi-young of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism met actor Choi Bul-am (86), who is hospitalized and receiving treatment.
The Minister posted a photo taken with Choi on the 13th on her Facebook and said, "I visited and extended my respectful regards to our 'national father,' teacher Choi Bul-am, who is hospitalized due to health discomfort." She added, "I was greatly relieved because he welcomed me warmly with his signature 'paha' laugh."
The Minister said Choi noted, "Let's have a drink when I am discharged before long," and that she readily asked for makgeolli. She said he broke into a bright smile when she brought up the story of Eunsung, the bar his mother ran, adding, "Eunsung was long ago called a hideout for poor artists."
The Minister produced a Blu-ray of The Last Witness (1980), a film Choi appeared in, and delivered it. Choi played the lead in the film and won the best actor award at the 1st Korean Film Critics Association Awards.
At the time of its release, it was screened with a significant portion cut due to censorship. The Korean Film Archive later restored the original in 2003, producing and releasing a 154-minute version, and a Blu-ray was also released in 2017.
Choi was hospitalized for rehabilitation after having difficulty moving following back disk surgery last year. Upon being hospitalized, he stepped down from KBS 1TV's current affairs and culture program "Korean Dining Table," which he had hosted for 14 years.