South Korea Posthumously Awards Choi Bul-am Gold Crown Cultural Medal
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young presented the first-class Order of Cultural Merit to the actor's family at the funeral hall in Seoul.
The South Korean government posthumously awarded actor Choi Bul-am the Gold Crown Cultural Medal, the first-class Order of Cultural Merit, joynews24.com reported. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young visited the funeral hall at Asan Medical Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul, and presented the medal to the bereaved family.
Choi died on 29 October 2026. The medal honors his contribution to the development of South Korean popular culture over 67 years.
He debuted in 1959 in the play Hamlet and worked in stage and television for 67 years. On MBC he played detective squad chief Park Young-han in 수사반장 for 18 years and Kim Hoe-jang in 전원일기 for 22 years, and from 2011 he hosted the KBS 1TV program 한국인의 밥상 for 14 years.
In 2014, Choi received the Silver Crown Cultural Medal for his contributions to popular culture and arts. From 1985 he served as national sponsorship chairman of the ChildFund Korea (Green Umbrella) foundation.
Other actors awarded the Gold Crown Cultural Medal include Baek Seong-hee in 2016, Yoon Yeo-jeong in 2021, Lee Jung-jae in 2022, Lee Soon-jae and Kim Ji-mi in 2025, and Ahn Sung-ki in 2026.
Quick answers
What honor did Choi Bul-am receive?
The Gold Crown Cultural Medal, the first-class Order of Cultural Merit, awarded posthumously by the South Korean government.
When did Choi Bul-am die?
He died on 29 October 2026.
Who presented the medal to his family?
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young presented it at the funeral hall at Asan Medical Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul.