Choi Eun-hee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Choi Eun-hee
Choi in 1966
Born	(1926-11-20)November 20, 1926 Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, Japanese Korea
Died	April 16, 2018(2018-04-16) (aged 91) Gangseo District, Seoul, South Korea
Nationality	South Korean
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1942–2006
Spouse(s)	Shin Sang-ok ​ ​ (m. 1954; div. 1976)​ ​ ​ (m. 1983; died 2006)​
Korean name
Hangul	최은희
Hanja	崔銀姬
Revised Romanization	Choe Eun-Hui
McCune–Reischauer	Ch'oe Ǔn-hŭi

Choi Eun-hee (Hangul: 최은희; November 20, 1926 – April 16, 2018) was a famous South Korean actress. She was one of the most popular movie stars in her country during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1978, Choi and her former husband, director Shin Sang-ok, were taken to North Korea without their permission. They were asked to make films there. In 1986, they found a way to leave North Korea. 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. Her first acting job was in the 1947 film A New Oath. She became very well-known the next year. This was after she starred in the 1948 movie The Sun of Night. Soon, people called her one of the "troika" of Korean film. This meant she was one of the top three actresses, along with Kim Ji-mee and Um Aing-ran.

In 1954, she married the director Shin Sang-ok. Together, they started their own film company called Shin Film. Choi Eun-hee acted in over 130 movies. She was one of the biggest stars in South Korean cinema during the 1960s and 1970s. She appeared in many of Shin's famous films. These included A Flower in Hell from 1958 and The Houseguest and My Mother from 1961.

Life in North Korea

Making Films Under Difficult Circumstances

In 1978, Choi Eun-hee traveled to Hong Kong. She thought she was meeting a businessman to start a new film company. Instead, she was taken to North Korea by order of Kim Jong-il. While looking for Choi, her former husband, Shin Sang-ok, was also taken to North Korea.

In North Korea, Choi and Shin were asked by Kim Jong-il to get married again. Kim Jong-il wanted them to make movies together. One of their films was Salt from 1985. For her role in this movie, Choi won the best actress award at the 14th Moscow International Film Festival. Choi later said that they were able to make "films with artistic values." She also said she could not forgive Kim for taking her. While in North Korea, Choi became a Roman Catholic.

Escape and Return Home

The couple managed to escape in 1986. This happened during a trip to Vienna, Austria. They went to the U.S. embassy there and asked for help. They lived in the United States for a decade. First, they lived in Reston, Virginia. Then, they moved to Beverly Hills, California. Finally, they returned to South Korea in 1999.

Choi Eun-hee passed away on April 16, 2018. She was in the hospital for a kidney dialysis treatment. Her death brought sadness to many people across South Korea.

Choi Eun-hee in Books and Documentaries

In 2015, a book about Choi and Shin's lives was released. It was written by Paul Fischer and called A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker. A documentary film about their time in North Korea was also shown. It was called The Lovers and the Despot. This film was presented at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival in January 2016.

Choi Eun-hee's Filmography

Here are some of the films Choi Eun-hee acted in:

Awards and Achievements

Choi Eun-hee won many awards for her acting. Here are some of them:

Buil Film Awards

Blue Dragon Film Awards

Grand Bell Awards

Other Awards

See also

In Spanish: Choi Eun-hee para niños

• Abduction of Shin Sang-ok and Choi Eun-hee
• Shin Sang-ok