1954; div.

She thought she was meeting a businessman to start a new film company.

She appeared in key films like Korea (1954), directed by Shin Sang-ok, which highlighted her versatility in narratives addressing national identity and recovery.^[16] Throughout the 1950s, her roles in over a dozen productions established her as one of South Korea's leading actresses, often embodying ideals of feminine strength and sacrifice in a society rebuilding from devastation.^[5] This period saw her evolve from novice to star, contributing to the golden age of Korean melodrama while navigating government oversight on content.^[4]

Peak Success in the 1960s and 1970s

During the 1960s and 1970s, Choi Eun-hee established herself as one of South Korea's most prominent actresses, starring in numerous films that solidified her status as a leading figure in the industry.

Her first acting job was in the 1947 film A New Oath. It was written by Paul Fischer and called A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker. Then, they moved to Beverly Hills, California. She became very well-known the next year. According to the Internet Movie Database, from 1955 to 1985, Choi appeared in eighty-one films.

The couple co-founded Shin Film and maintained a productive personal and professional partnership, residing together in Seoul's Jangchung-dong neighborhood.^[23][19]Tensions arose in 1974 when Shin initiated an extramarital affair with actress Oh Su-mi, resulting in the birth of two children fathered by him; Choi responded by filing for divorce, which was granted in 1976.^[23][6]Following their abductions to North Korea—Choi in 1978 and Shin in 1978—the pair reconciled during captivity and remarried in 1983, resuming collaboration on film projects under regime oversight before their joint defection in 1986; they remained together until Shin's death in 2006.^[24][23]

Family and Children

Choi Eun-hee had no biological children, having been diagnosed with infertility during her marriage to filmmaker Shin Sang-ok.^[22] The couple adopted two children together in the 1960s: son Shin Jeong-gyun, who later became a film director, and daughter Shin Myung-kim.^[25][3]Following her 1976 divorce from Shin—prompted by his extramarital fathering of two sons with actress Oh Su-mi—Choi reconciled with him during their captivity in North Korea and after their 1986 escape to the West.^[8] In the United States, particularly during their time in California, Choi raised Shin's two biological sons from Oh as her own, integrating them into the family alongside her adopted children.^[8] This arrangement persisted until Shin's death in 2006, after which Choi returned to South Korea.^[8]

Abduction to North Korea

Events Leading to the 1978 Kidnapping

In the mid-1970s, following her divorce from director Shin Sang-ok in 1976 and the subsequent bankruptcy of Shin Film, Choi Eun-hee faced professional and financial difficulties, including efforts to sustain the Anyang Arts High School, a performing arts institution she supported with around 700 students.^[26] These challenges left her receptive to overseas opportunities in the film industry, amid a career slowdown after her peak in South Korean cinema.^[4]In the fall of 1977, a man identifying himself as Wang Dong-il, who claimed to operate a film studio in Hong Kong, visited Choi in South Korea and proposed a partnership to affiliate her school with his operations, while inviting her to the Hong KongFilm Festival; she initially declined but maintained contact.^[26]Wang later sent her a film script and offered financial compensation substantial enough to aid the school's survival, enticing her to travel for discussions on potential acting and production roles.^[26][27]On January 11, 1978, Choi departed Seoul's Kimpo Airport via Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport, checking into the Furama Hotel to meet Wang and explore the proposed project.^[26] During her stay, Wang escorted her on city tours, but she observed two unidentified men shadowing her movements, raising vague suspicions.^[26]On January 14, 1978, with Wang unavailable, Choi was introduced to a woman named Mrs.

Lee Young-seng and her daughter, who invited her to Repulse Bay under the pretext of introducing her to an influential business contact connected to the film venture.^[26][5] Upon arrival at the beach area, several men—later identified as North Korean agents acting on orders from Kim Jong-il, who sought to elevate North Korea's film industry through abducted South Korean talent—seized Choi, forced her onto a waiting motor skiff, drugged her, and transferred her to a freighter bound for the North Korean port of Nampo.^[26][3] The operation, disguised through proxies like Wang (a North Korean operative posing as a Hong Kong businessman), exploited Choi's vulnerabilities without immediate detection, as initial South Korean inquiries speculated on ransom or elopement rather than state-sponsored abduction.^[26][27]

Initial Captivity and Isolation

Choi Eun-hee was abducted from Hong Kong on January 8, 1978, by North Korean agents acting on orders from Kim Jong-il, who sought to bolster the regime's film industry.

They returned to South Korea in 1999 after living in the United States for ten years.

Choi Eun-hee's Early Life and Career

Becoming a Star in South Korea

Choi Eun-hee was born in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, in 1926. She appeared in over 130 movies throughout her career, with many during this period contributing to her widespread popularity and recognition as a symbol of the ideal Korean mother in cinema.^[17][18] Her roles often emphasized themes of family, resilience, and tradition, resonating deeply with post-war audiences in South Korea.^[19]Key films from this era included A Guest and Mother (1961), in which her portrayal of a devoted mother earned critical acclaim and helped the film secure the Best Film award at the 9th Asia-Pacific Film Festival.^[19] In 1965, Choi directed and starred in The Girl Raised as a Future Daughter-in-Law, a project that highlighted her versatility and contributed to its recognition with a Grand Bell Award for Best Film.^[16] Other notable works, such as Uijeok Iljimae (1961) and Quit Your Life (1971), further showcased her range across genres, from historical dramas to social critiques.^[1]Choi received several accolades affirming her prominence, including the Popular Star Award at the 1964 Blue Dragon Film Awards and Best Actress honors at the Grand Bell Awards in 1962 for her role in Evergreen Tree.^[20][21] By the mid-1970s, she was regarded among the top three most celebrated female stars in South Korean cinema, though her career began facing challenges toward the decade's end due to industry shifts.^[21]

Professional Collaboration with Shin Sang-ok

Choi Eun-hee and Shin Sang-ok initiated their professional partnership in the early 1950s, meeting in 1953 and marrying during production of the film Korea in 1954.^[19] In the same year, they established Shin Film, a production company that output over 200 films from the 1950s through the 1970s, enabling Shin to direct extensively while featuring Choi as a lead actress in many projects.^[19][22] This collaboration positioned them as central figures in South Korea's post-war cinema revival, with Shin directing more than 70 films and Choi starring in over 130 across her career.^[22]Their joint efforts produced landmark films that defined the 1960s golden age of Korean cinema, blending melodrama, historical epics, and social commentary.

She was one of South Korea's most popular stars of the 1960s and 1970s. 1983; died 2006)