Actor You Need to Know: Choi Sung-eun

Choi Sung-eun’s dynamism shows in the breadth of emotions she can bring to the screen. Her portrayal is both riveting and heartbreaking, ranging from moments of unrestrained ecstasy to complete despondency. She gives a character, layers of substance, and makes her multifaceted through a subtle approach to capturing the emotional depth and mental complexity of the character. The intricacies in Choi’s depiction entice you to go further into the character’s mind, revealing latent power and fragility that heighten her appeal.

The 27-year-old had a flair for acting even before pursuing a career in it. She studied theater and film at Kaywon High School of Arts before enrolling in the acting department at the Korea National University of Arts in 2015. Her breakout roles include those in the dramas SF8 (2020), Beyond Evil (2021), The Sound of Magic, aka Annarasumanara (2022), and the film My Name Is Loh Kiwan (2024). However, she started off doing short films and stage acting. In her debut movie Start-Up (2019), Choi played the redhead So Kyung-joo, resulting in the Chunsa Film Festival’s Best New Actress award and a nomination for the South Korean Buil Film Awards.

In Joan’s Galaxy, an episode of the Korean science fiction anthology television series SF8, her performance serves as a lens reflecting the universalities of hope, resilience, and one’s ability to endure times of hardship. In an unreadable future, it follows two young people who dream of a perfect future together that is captivating and beautifully developing.

Choi’s first starring role in an indie film was in Ten Months (2020), which also screened at the 21st Jeonju International Film Festival. She is Mi-rae in the story, whose abrupt pregnancy plagues her with rejection, anxiety, and conflicting societal responses. Choi’s picture-perfect portrayal caused quite a stir, winning Best New Actress at the 31st Buil Film Awards and a nomination for the same category at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards. 

If you’ve seen Ten Months, you know how difficult it is to remain objective about the character when her emotional struggles and conflicts are expressed with such raw honesty. Mi-rae’s journey acts as a mirror, reflecting how relatable the film is, so if you haven’t watched it yet, you really should.

Choi’s subsequent roles in 2021 and 2022 were as the formidable “Master of Knife,” Yoo Jae-yi, a butcher shop and restaurant owner in the procedural psychological thriller series Beyond the Evil; Yoon Ah-yi, the impoverished high school girl in the musical fantasy coming-of-age web series The Sound of Magic; and prosecutor Kim Hwa-jin in the crime action film Gentleman. In every role, Choi delivered on her promise, effortlessly and precisely capturing the core of her character’s story.

Her role as a broken soul Lee Marie, in Song Joong-ki’s recent hit romance melodrama film, My Name Is Loh Kiwan, has given her a fresh face. With her dark, kohled eyes and gothic style, the Belgian citizen of Korean descent, the ex-shooter, stuns everyone. Unlike Loh Kiwan (Song), who longs to start over in Belgium, she lives in excruciating pain and doesn’t know why she even exists. They do, however, wind up falling in love as the narrative unfolds and Loh Kiwan endures the awful process of obtaining refugee status from Belgian authorities.

In her portrayal of the nuanced Marie, Choi lights up the screen. Her depiction of a hopeless, drug-addled cynic is profoundly moving, revealing the emotions of her past experiences that still shape her actions and decisions today. It also gives the story a distinct viewpoint on love and loss. Simultaneously, she manages to be the charming, compassionate individual she truly is, going above and beyond for Loh Kiwan, the man she has the deepest feelings for, and vice versa.

The nascent and sensitive on-screen chemistry between Choi Sung-eun and Song Joong-ki enlivens the intricate plot. It dives into the recesses of their feelings, succinctly conveying the exhilaration of love and its transformative power in the lives of two flawed characters.