'1,088 episodes, 22 years as husband and wife': Kim Hye-ja bids farewell to Choi Bool-am

"I wish I could see him open his eyes just one more time. He is someone I miss so dearly — I know we will meet again soon."

Actor Kim Hye-ja, who spent 22 years as the mistress of the Kim household in Yangchon-ri, stood before the portrait of the man who played her on-screen husband. Kim visited the memorial altar for the late Choi Bool-am (real name Choi Young-han) at Room 20 of Asan Medical Center's funeral hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, at around 6:50 p.m. Friday to pay her final respects. The two shared 1,088 episodes of MBC's "Rural Diary" (1980–2002), playing Chairman Kim and his wife Lee Eun-shim.

After paying her respects, Kim spoke with reddened eyes. "I don't think of this as a final goodbye. We will meet again after death, so please don't call it the last time," Kim said. Kim referred to Choi as "that person." "I have so many memories of that person, and I will carry them all with me for the rest of my life. How much longer do I have left, anyway?"

Their bond stretched beyond the drama. In September 2023, Kim and Choi reunited on tvN Story's "Hoejangnim-ne Saramdeul" — their first time sitting across from each other in 21 years since "Rural Diary" ended. Kim introduced the two of them as "truly old friends" on that occasion, and in the same broadcast scolded Choi for stepping away from acting, saying it was a shame that someone of his caliber had stopped performing in old age. Their "Rural Diary" family summed up the pair's cultural standing simply: "When you think of the Korean father, it's Choi Bool-am; when you think of the Korean mother, it's Kim Hye-ja," as fellow cast member Kim Yong-geon put it.

Around the time Kim Hye-ja arrived, actors Ko Du-shim, Yoon Yeo-jeong, Choi Myeong-gil and Park Sang-won also came to pay their respects. Ko played the eldest daughter-in-law of the Kim household in "Rural Diary." Before entering the memorial hall, Ko honored Choi as "a person of great and generous heart who always looked out for those in need." Ko also recalled that Choi had encouraged her to get involved with ChildFund Korea. Park had appeared alongside Choi in MBC's "You and I" (1997–1998).

Lee Gye-in, who played village resident Gwi-dong, and Lim Ho, who played the adult version of Choi's adopted son Geum-dong, also came to the memorial hall. Lee is a longtime junior colleague of Choi's, having worked alongside him across dozens of productions — "Inspector General," "You," "Age of Heroes" and "Rural Diary" among them. The two had lived in the same neighborhood for nearly 40 years and shared more drinks together than anyone else. At the memorial hall, Lee came face to face with Choi's wife Kim Min-ja and said, "How could you leave before me, after everything we shared?"

A fish Lee had prepared for Choi still sits in the refrigerator. While Choi was hospitalized, Choi had called Lee to say there was a craving for spicy fish stew. Lee went out and bought the fish for the old friend — but the phone never rang again after that.

Lim said the feeling weighing on him most was the same one felt when losing his own parents: "Why didn't I do more for him while he was still here?" Lim said the news of Choi's death reached him just as the "Rural Diary" cast had been talking about visiting together before the year was out.

Throughout all of this, actor Kim Hye-soo did not leave the memorial hall. Kim arrived at around 11 a.m. Friday and remained by the bereaved family's side until late at night. After appearing alongside Choi's wife Kim Min-ja as mother and daughter in KBS's "Samogok" (1987), Kim had called the couple "Mom" and "Dad" for the 39 years since. Kim said nothing to the press and quietly moved away, eyes swollen from crying.

At around 8 p.m., Chung Mong-joon, chairman of the Asan Social Welfare Foundation, visited the memorial hall. Choi and Chung are alumni of Seoul Joongang High School, with Choi the senior. Choi entered the 14th National Assembly in 1992 as a proportional representative for the Unification National Party, founded by the late Chung Ju-yung, honorary chairman of Hyundai Group, and in 2004 played a character modeled on Chung Ju-yung in MBC's "Age of Heroes."

"He was my high school senior, and he was also someone who was very close to my father — almost like a friend," Chung said. "It saddens me deeply that he could not have taken better care of his health and lived longer."

The first to knock on the door of the memorial hall was also a "Rural Diary" son. When the hall opened for condolences at 10 a.m., former Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoo In-chon — who played the second son Yong-shik in the drama — walked in. Yoo had also played Choi's son in Choi's drama debut, MBC's "Gangnam Family" (1974), and said Choi was always called "Father" in everyday life as well. Park Eun-su, who played Il-yong in "Rural Diary," grew tearful recalling that the last thing Choi said when Park tried to visit the hospital a month or two ago was: "Don't come."

Lim Hyeon-shik, a theater and film junior of Choi's at Hanyang University who had known Choi for 60 years, offered a quiet wish: "I hope that even in heaven, you set up a production company and act to your heart's content." Na Moon-hee, who had played Choi's wife in SBS's "Good Day" (2014), was helped in by a companion and wept as she left, murmuring, "Choi Bool-am, you've gone ahead of us."

Cha In-pyo, who played Choi's son in "You and I"; Kang Seok-woo, who appeared alongside Choi in SBS's "Smile, You" (2009); and Ahn Seo-hyeon, who played a granddaughter in "Heavenly Garden Gombaelyeong," also came to pay their respects. Comedian Lee Hong-ryeol, who had worked with Choi as a ChildFund Korea ambassador for 28 years, said, "I feel like I've lost the person I leaned on most." Also among the mourners were actors Kim Sung-hwan, Sunwoo Yong-nyeo, Gil Yong-woo, Yang Taek-jo, Hong Soon-chang, Lee Gyeong-jin, Lee Bo-hee, Song Seung-hwan and Shin Hyun-joon, the couple Lee Cheon-hee and Jeon Hye-jin, singer Jin Sung, broadcaster Lee Sang-byeok, model Lee Hyeon-i and director Bae Chang-ho. Hanbok designer Park Sul-nyeo made two trips to the memorial hall, bringing 13 burial garments she had been preparing for a year and the mourning dress for Kim Min-ja.

The government posthumously awarded Choi the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit, the highest honor in the arts and culture sector. Culture Minister Choi Hwi-yeong delivered the decoration at the memorial hall at around 5 p.m. Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok, former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, former Democratic Party leader Song Yeong-gil, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, former People Power Party lawmaker Ihn Yo-han and acting Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Kim Jong-cheol, who arrived with senior police officials, also paid their respects. Hwang Yeong-gi, chairman of ChildFund Korea and head of the funeral committee, also visited.

The funeral will be held under the auspices of ChildFund Korea. The encoffining ceremony is set for 2:30 p.m. Sunday, and the funeral procession will depart at 7:40 a.m. Monday. A funeral Mass presided over by Cardinal Yeom Su-jeong will follow at 9 a.m. at Yeouido Dongseong Cathedral. The cortege will stop at ChildFund Korea's offices at 10:40 a.m. before proceeding to Donghwa Gyeongmo Park in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.

Yoo still remembered a line Choi delivered as his on-screen father during their early days together. "Happiness is not far away. Open the window behind you. Happiness will be right there."