Choi Bul-am's Parting Words... "Keeping Things in Moderation Is What Life Is About" "Don't Be Too Happy or Too Sad"

KBS Documentary: "Let's Each Plant a Flowering Tree in Our Hearts"
He Also Personally Asked the Production Team to Make a Documentary

It has emerged that the late actor Choi Bul-am personally asked for a documentary program about his life to be made while he was battling illness.

Actor Choi Bul-am, who has passed away. Screenshot from KBS's broadcast of "A Warm Adult, Choi Bul-am - You Were the Way."

An encore broadcast of MBC's memorial documentary special "Paha, I'm Choi Bul-am" aired on the afternoon of October 30. The documentary originally aired in May 2026, but was rebroadcast to honor Choi Bul-am, who passed away on October 29. The production team said in subtitles, "In 2025, while already battling illness, actor Choi Bul-am called the production team himself and asked them to make a program summing up his life." His back was already in poor condition, and he was using a wheelchair. Choi was initially set to appear in "Paha, I'm Choi Bul-am," but reportedly had to withdraw after his family urged him to focus on rehabilitation.

Also airing that day was KBS's special documentary "A Warmhearted Adult, Choi Bul-am - You Were the Way." In it, Choi emphasized the importance of moderation in life, saying, "Don't be too happy even when things are very enjoyable, and don't be too sad even when things are very sad. I've learned that keeping things in moderation is what life is about."

The late actor Choi Bool-am. Screenshot from KBS's "A Warmhearted Adult, Choi Bool-am - You Were the Way."

The special documentary chronicled actor Choi Bul-am's life, his acting career, and his journeys across the country over 14 years for "Korean Cuisine and Dining." He called the program "our lives," saying, "How happy you are when the food tastes good. How many programs on other media are about eating? They're all meant to make people happy. Even if you don't eat, they make your mouth water and bring a smile to your face." He also described himself as "a messenger who introduces food."

Looking back on his past roles, Choi said wistfully, "I didn't have the ability to preserve all of them in my memory, but I remember so many wonderful scenes," adding, "I want to do them again."

Asked if he had any dreams, he said, "You die if you have no dreams. Of course I have dreams," adding, "Doing a great job acting and winning an award, or becoming famous around the world - those are all dreams. They might come true, but there are many things I hold back."

As he gazed at a cherry tree in full bloom, he was asked what happiness meant to him. "Happiness is something you feel," he said. "When you think, 'How lovely,' that's happiness." He continued, "When there was nothing, someone planted a flowering tree. Someone planted cherry trees in Yeouido, too, and did a wonderful thing. I remember reading something that said, 'Plant a flowering tree in an empty yard, and it feels as if you've created a beautiful scene. Let's each plant a flowering tree in our hearts, too.'"

Choi also said, "Maybe happiness is a state without discomfort or anything like that," adding, "If you don't feel discomfort or anxiety, that's happiness. I can't be happy alone. We all have to be happy together."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.