SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- Tributes poured in online following the death Friday of veteran actor Choi Bool-am, beloved as the "nation's father character." 

Popera tenor and chairman of the Yongsan Cultural Foundation Lim Hyung-joo posted a tribute on social media Friday, saying, "I can't believe my beloved and respected Uncle Choi Bool-am has passed away. I can only shed tears." He added, "Thank you so much for being a warm father to so many Koreans."

Lim, who is known to have maintained a close relationship with Choi and his wife, actress Kim Min-ja, said, "I never imagined that my visit to see you in the hospital a few months ago would be our final farewell." He added, "I am deeply grateful that you always cherished my singing, came to my solo recitals with Aunt Kim Min-ja, and always gave me such warm words of encouragement."

Internet users mourned the late actor by listing works in which he appeared. Choi, whose real name was Choi Young-han, was beloved by the public for many years for his roles as Chief Park Young-han in MBC's "Chief Detective," one of the earliest Korean-style investigative dramas, which ran from 1971-1984 and 1985-1989, and as Chairman Kim of Yangchon-ri in MBC's "Country Diaries," the longest-running Korean TV drama, which aired from 1980-2002.

One user wrote, "Chairman Kim of Yangchon-ri, rest in peace. You made an era of my life happy." Another wrote, "May the eternal Chief Detective rest in peace."

Tributes also poured in remembering Choi's recent work as host of KBS 1TV's current affairs and culture program "A Korean Table." Choi hosted the program for 14 years, from 2011 until last year, bridging generations with his down-to-earth and unpretentious image.

Online comments included, "I watched 'A Korean Table' so often, and my heart is breaking," "Mr. Choi Bool-am's voice in the narration was such a great source of comfort," and "I had looked forward to hearing Mr. Choi Bool-am's voice on 'A Korean Table,' so it is such a shame."

Some also expressed sadness at the loss of beloved veteran actors, saying, "Mr. Ahn Sung-ki, Mr. Lee Soon-jae and now Mr. Choi Bool-am -- all these good people are leaving us," and "It really feels like an entire era is coming to an end," following the deaths of actor Lee Soon-jae last year and actor Ahn Sung-ki earlier this year.

Choi died at around 10 p.m. Thursday while receiving hospital treatment at a hospital in Gangseo-gu, western Seoul. He was 87.

He stepped down from "A Korean Table" after undergoing surgery for a herniated disk in March last year, which left him with mobility problems. He had since focused on rehabilitation, but his health reportedly deteriorated rapidly recently.

Born in 1939, according to his birth record, or 1940 according to his family register, in Jemulpo-gu, Incheon, the late actor made his debut in the play "Hamlet" in 1959. He went on to work across television, film and theater, earning the public's affection as a national actor and the "nation's father-on-screen."

[Copyright ⓒ K-VIBE. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution are prohibited.]