According to her agency Make It Studio on the 12th, Choi Ji-woo’s father, Choi Un-yong, passed away on the 11th after a long illness. Choi Ji-woo is currently mourning and receiving visitors alongside her mother, brother, husband, and daughter.
The funeral is being held at the Haeundae Paik Hospital Funeral Hall in Busan. Her father, who served in the military, will be laid to rest at the Daejeon National Cemetery via Yeongrak Park. The encoffining is scheduled for 8 AM on the 13th, and the funeral procession will take place at 6 AM on the 14th.
The news is even more heartbreaking as Choi Ji-woo recently shared memories of a trip to Japan with her mother. On the 7th, she posted photos from the trip on Instagram. When actress Shin Ae-ra commented, “You’re not there now, right? I’m leaving Kyoto today,” Choi Ji-woo replied, “I went in April. Have a great trip, unnie. Eat lots of delicious food and walk a lot.” This means she suffered the loss of her father just a month after the trip.
It has been revealed that her father spent his life volunteering to bathe elderly patients with dementia. In 2005, Choi Ji-woo donated 10 million won to the Sinmangae Dementia Nursing Home, a free facility in Geumjeong-gu, Busan, through her father.
Since the facility opened in 2002, her father volunteered every second and fourth Friday of the month. He also personally delivered the donation on behalf of Choi Ji-woo, who was staying in Japan at the time, leaving a touching impression.
Choi Ji-woo debuted in 1994 in the drama ‘Heaven’s Stranger’ as part of MBC’s 23rd open recruitment for actors. She gained attention in the 1996 drama ‘First Love’ and received immense love for the 2000 drama ‘Truth.’ She later became a leading figure of the Hallyu wave through dramas like ‘Winter Sonata’ and ‘Stairway to Heaven.’
She has also appeared in various works, including the dramas ‘Can’t Stand Losing,’ ‘Suspicious Housekeeper,’ and ‘Woman with a Suitcase,’ as well as movies like ‘Temptation,’ ‘No Mercy,’ ‘Everyone Has Secrets,’ and ‘Actresses.’
Additionally, Choi Ji-woo married her husband, who is nine years her junior, in March 2018 and welcomed her first daughter in May 2020 at the age of 46.
