Actor Kim Minha on Oct. 6 hosts the opening ceremony of the Busan International Film Festival at the outdoor theater of Busan Cinema Center in Busan's Haeundae-gu District.

By Margareth Theresia
Photos = Busan International Film Festival

For actor Kim Minha, the sole host of the opening ceremony of this year's Busan International Film Festival, the stage was where she not only shared her own message but also learned to listen to others' stories.

"Since I was the one speaking, I realized just how nerve-wracking and incredibly important every single word I say could be," she said.

The "Pachinko" star on Oct. 8 spoke to audiences at the program Actors' House at the Centum City branch of Shinsegae Department Store in Busan’s Haeundae-gu District. She shared her thoughts on hosting the opening ceremony and her challenges as an actor.

Her connection to the festival dates back to age 20, when she was a moviegoer and a student at Hanyang University majoring in theater and film; she recalled buying a ticket on site to watch "John Wick." Captivated by the BIFF atmosphere, she said she always dreamed of being part of it one day.

Kim gained international fame for playing the young Sunja, one of the protagonists of the K-drama "Pachinko" (2022). Calling her sudden fame "frightening," she said she struggled to manage the expectations of her that soared overnight.

In "Hana Korea" (2026), she plays Hye-seon, a North Korean defector struggling to adjust to life in South Korea. Recognizing the high difficulty of imagining such an experience, she researched her role through interviews of defectors.

Through the process, she said she discovered emotions that anyone could relate to in a character desperately trying to make it through each day. She added her hope for the film to give audiences comfort in reflecting on their own struggles in their lives.

Actor Kim Minha (left) on Oct. 6 speaks at a news conference for "The Table: Day and Night," the opening film of the Busan International Film Festival, at Cinema I of Busan Cinema Center in Busan's Haeundae-gu District.

This year in Busan, Kim showed two sides of her acting in the festival's opening film "The Table: Day and Night" and "Dead-End Job," which was selected for the On Screen section. Moving between a film featuring daily conversations and a genre series with bizarre events, she demonstrated her versatility as an actor.

Directed by Kim Jong-kwan, "The Table," set for release next month, is about the conversations of four couples at a cafe as summer turns to fall. Yoo-jin, played by Kim, tells a friend about a dream she had.

The film shows that casual comments that easily go unnoticed in daily life show the true selves of characters rather than major events.

Set to premiere on Oct. 30, director Kim Da-min's Netflix series "Dead-End Job" has a different vibe. When Hyeok-joon (played by Lee Jae-wook), a young man drowning in debt, takes on a high-paying but mysterious part-time job, an ordinary workplace turns into the setting for bizarre happenings.

Kim Minha plays Ji-yoon, the protagonist's younger sister who tries to save him.

Gaining experience with action scenes through "Dead-End Job," Kim said she wants to appear in an action film. She expressed interest in the Hollywood movie "Lucy" and blockbusters like "Mad Max," in which female characters display exhilarating energy.

She added that if the opportunity arises, she wants to thoroughly prepare by training at an action school.

Actor Kim Minha (right) on Oct. 8 attends a session of the event Actors' House of this year's Busan International Film Festival at the Centum City branch of Shinsegae Department Store in Busan's Haeundae-gu District.

As she took on more roles, Kim said, she struggled to avoid falling into familiar acting patterns. While working nonstop on projects without a break, she said she sometimes instinctively slipped into the speech patterns of previous characters, even when playing someone new.

The actor added that she used to rarely watch films or dramas she appeared in but now reviews them as they show a different side of herself in each role.

Her criteria for selecting roles also underwent refinement through this self-discovery process. Amid speculation of working exclusively overseas after "Pachinko," she contemplated building a steady career at home.

She said she reflects on her pursuits and values and uses both as criteria to read scripts and select works.

margareth@korea.kr