For half a century, Choi Bul-am was the everyman of Korean television

It is not common for an actor to serve as a touchstone for his country through decades of change. Choi Bul-am was one of the few who did. From the days of black-and-white broadcasts to the streaming era, Choi, who died Thursday at 87, played tough men with soft hearts in whom South Korean viewers saw themselves and their own fathers. His unhurried way of talking and head-thrown-back laugh were so well known across the country that they made for a running gag in their own right. Choi started out