SEOUL, Oct 30 — South Korean actor Choi Bool-am, 87 widely known as the nation’s father figure for his portrayals of paternal characters in popular television dramas, has died, his family said Friday, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Choi, whose real name was Choi Young-han, died at around 10pm Thursday while receiving treatment at a hospital in western Seoul, according to his family.

The actor had experienced difficulties walking after undergoing surgery for a herniated disc in March last year, prompting him to step down as host of the KBS documentary programme Korean Food Table, which he had hosted for 14 years since 2011.

Choi became a household name through his role as detective Park Young-han in MBC’s long-running crime drama Chief Inspector, which aired from 1971 to 1989.