{
  "id": 17377682,
  "title": "Late Korean TV icon Choi Bul-am requested documentary chronicle his life amid illness",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/late-korean-tv-icon-choi-bul-am-requested-documentary-chronicle-his",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-31T09:52:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/20261031/late-korean-tv-icon-choi-bul-am-requested-documentary-chronicle-his-life-amid-illness"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Choi Bul-am, a prominent figure in Korean television, requested the creation of a documentary about his life while he was struggling with illness, it has recently come to light. The special broadcast of MBC's documentary, titled \"Paha, This Is Choi Bul-am,\" was aired on Friday to honor the late actor. The program, originally shown in May, revisits Choi's life and acting career through music, utilizing a radio documentary format. It was rebroadcast in memory of the actor, who passed away on Thursday. During the program, viewers discovered that Choi had directly contacted the production team to request the documentary. According to a caption on the screen, Choi personally called the production team in 2025, while undergoing treatment, and asked them to make a program that would reflect on his life. The caption continued, \"In response to his request, this documentary was broadcast in May this year, while he was still alive.\" Choi passed away around 10 p.m. on Thursday at a hospital in Gangseo District, Seoul, where he was receiving inpatient treatment. He was 87 years old. Following surgery for a herniated disc last year, Choi's health continued to decline.",
  "summary": "The late actor Choi Bul-am asked for a documentary to be made about his life while he was battling illness, it has belatedly been revealed. MBC aired a special encore broadcast of its documentary, \"Paha, This Is Choi Bul-am,\" on Friday. Originally broadcast in May this year, the program revisits Choi's life and acting career through music in the format of a radio documentary. It was rebroadcast…",
  "key_points": [
    "Choi Bul-am, Korean TV icon, requested documentary about his life.",
    "Documentary, \"Paha, This Is Choi Bul-am,\" aired posthumously.",
    "Actor passed away at 87, on Thursday in Seoul hospital."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The actor's proactive request for a life chronicle transforms his final illness into a deliberate act of legacy preservation through the medium of a musical radio documentary.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}