ClassX Video Lessons The Actress kidnapped by Kim Jong il and forced to make movies (Strange Stories)
In this intriguing story, we delve into the bizarre tale of Choi Eun-hee, a renowned South Korean actress who was kidnapped by North Korea’s Kim Jong-il in 1978. Her abduction was part of a grand plan to revitalize North Korea’s film industry.
Choi Eun-hee was a celebrated actress in South Korea during the 1950s and 60s, starring in over 130 films and winning numerous awards. After her divorce from director Shin Sang-ok in 1978, her career began to decline. In an effort to revive it, she traveled to Hong Kong to meet a businessman who promised new opportunities. However, this meeting was a trap. Choi was kidnapped by the North Korean Secret Service and taken to Pyongyang.
Kim Jong-il, the son of North Korea’s leader at the time, was a movie enthusiast with a collection of over 15,000 films. He believed that films could be powerful tools for propaganda and wanted to enhance North Korea’s film industry by bringing in talent from the South. Choi Eun-hee was part of this plan.
In North Korea, Choi was kept in luxurious isolation. Kim Jong-il attempted to win her over with lavish parties and gifts, while also indoctrinating her with North Korean ideology. Meanwhile, her ex-husband, Shin Sang-ok, who had gone to Hong Kong to search for her, was also kidnapped and brought to North Korea. Unlike Choi, Shin faced harsh treatment, including imprisonment and torture.
In 1983, Kim Jong-il reunited Choi and Shin, insisting they make films for North Korea. He even demanded they remarry to lend credibility to their projects. The films they produced often carried anti-Japanese or anti-capitalist themes. One notable film, “Pulgasari,” featured a monster reminiscent of Godzilla and involved a Japanese crew who were misled about the film’s origins.
After nearly a decade in North Korea, Choi and Shin managed to escape during the 1986 Berlin Film Festival. They sought asylum at the U.S. embassy in Vienna, Austria. The U.S. government was aware of North Korea’s abduction practices, with estimates suggesting that hundreds, if not thousands, of people had been kidnapped since 1953.
Choi and Shin were granted asylum in the United States, where they lived quietly until 1999. Choi never returned to acting, while Shin directed a low-budget American film under the pseudonym Simon Sheen. Eventually, they returned to South Korea, where Choi was celebrated for her past achievements. In 2014, she was honored with the Order of Cultural Merit.
This story highlights the lengths to which Kim Jong-il went to fulfill his cinematic dreams and the resilience of Choi Eun-hee and Shin Sang-ok in the face of adversity. Their tale is a testament to the power of art and the human spirit.
Research the use of film as a propaganda tool in different countries, including North Korea. Prepare a presentation that compares these practices, focusing on the impact of such films on public perception and international relations. Share your findings with the class, highlighting any parallels with Choi Eun-hee’s story.
Engage in a role-playing debate where you assume the roles of different stakeholders in the film industry, such as directors, actors, government officials, and audiences. Discuss the ethical implications of forced filmmaking and the responsibilities of filmmakers in politically charged environments.
Watch “Pulgasari” or another film produced by Choi Eun-hee and Shin Sang-ok during their time in North Korea. Analyze the film’s themes, production techniques, and propaganda elements. Discuss how these aspects reflect the political climate and Kim Jong-il’s influence on the film industry.
Write an alternate ending to Choi Eun-hee and Shin Sang-ok’s story. Imagine different scenarios for their escape or life in North Korea. Share your story with classmates and discuss how these alternate realities could have impacted their legacy and the film industry.
Create a short documentary exploring the theme of resilience in the arts, using Choi Eun-hee’s story as a case study. Include interviews, historical context, and personal reflections. Present your documentary to the class and facilitate a discussion on the power of art to overcome adversity.
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[Music]
In this episode, we explore the story of an actress kidnapped by Kim Jong-il to make movies for North Korea. In 1978, a freighter was secretly heading from Hong Kong across the East China Sea to Pyongyang, the North Korean capital. On board was a most unusual cargo: the iconic South Korean actress Choi Eun-hee, who had just been kidnapped by the North Korean Secret Service.
Throughout the 1950s and 60s, Choi had been immensely popular in South Korea. She founded a film company with her husband, director Shin Sang-ok, and made over 130 movies, winning numerous awards, including the prestigious Grand Bell Award, regarded as the South Korean version of the Oscars. However, her career suffered after her divorce from Shin in 1978. In an attempt to revive her failing acting career, she flew to Hong Kong to meet what she thought was a businessman interested in her involvement in a new film production company.
When she arrived in Hong Kong, she met the businessman, Wang Dong-il, and was treated well, dining at luxurious restaurants. However, there was very little business talk, and she noticed strange men following her from a distance, taking photos. A few days later, she was greeted by a business associate of Wang named Lee Sung-chi, who was accompanied by her daughter. They were to keep Choi entertained while Wang was occupied. After some sightseeing and shopping, Choi was lured by Lee to Repulse Bay for another potential meeting. It was a trap, and suddenly, two men grabbed Choi, sedated her, and bundled her into a speedboat. Choi and her daughter had been kidnapped by the North Korean Secret Service.
Why was this celebrity kidnapped by the North Korean regime? It was on the instruction of Kim Jong-il, the son of the North Korean dictator at the time. He was passionate about movies and saw their potential for spreading propaganda and promoting North Korea’s values overseas. Kim Jong-il reportedly owned over 15,000 films and was particularly fond of James Bond movies. He wanted to improve the North Korean film industry, which he viewed as stagnant, and believed he needed established talent from the capitalist South to achieve this.
After her abduction, Choi was imprisoned in luxurious, isolated accommodations in North Korea. For the next five years, Kim Jong-il tried to impress her, taking her to lavish parties and giving her expensive gifts. She was given a tutor to teach her about the virtues of the North Korean state and was shown the cultural wonders of the regime.
Meanwhile, Choi’s ex-husband, Shin Sang-ok, became worried when he had not heard from her for six months and decided to fly to Hong Kong to find her. Once there, he too was kidnapped by the North Korean Secret Service and taken to Pyongyang, where he was treated more harshly. After two failed escape attempts, he was imprisoned for two years and tortured.
In 1983, during a banquet, Kim Jong-il reunited Choi and Shin, and they became aware of their shared situation. Kim insisted they start making movies together for his regime and demanded they remarry to lend respectability to the project. It is claimed that he wrote the first movie Shin was to direct, titled “An Emissary of No Return,” a period drama set in 1907 about a Korean emissary seeking Western support against Japanese occupation.
The movies Choi and Shin made were varied, often with anti-Japanese or anti-capitalist undertones. One of their films, “Pulgasari,” featured a Godzilla-like creature and was created with the help of a Japanese crew who had been misled into thinking they were working on a Chinese movie. Overall, the films produced for the North Korean regime were poorly made, but one film, “The Tale of Shim Cheong,” received some acclaim, with Choi winning the Best Actress Award at the 14th Moscow International Film Festival.
After nearly ten years in North Korea, the couple managed to escape during the 1986 Berlin Film Festival, stopping in Vienna, Austria, where they sought political asylum at the U.S. embassy. The U.S. government had long been aware of North Korea’s abduction practices, estimating that several hundred people had been kidnapped since 1953, with some sources claiming the number could be as high as 3,800.
Choi and Shin were granted asylum and lived quietly in America until 1999. Choi never made any films again, but in 1992, Shin directed a low-budget American martial arts comedy titled “Three Ninjas Knuckle Up” under the name Simon Sheen, although it was a commercial flop. Eventually, they felt it was safe enough to return to South Korea, where Choi was treated with reverence and nostalgia. In 2014, she was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit.
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Abduction – The act of forcibly taking someone away against their will, often used in historical contexts to describe events such as the capture of individuals for political or military purposes. – During the tumultuous period of the Thirty Years’ War, the abduction of nobles was a common tactic used to exert political pressure.
Cinema – A place or venue where films are shown for public entertainment, or the art and industry of making films. – The rise of cinema in the early 20th century revolutionized the performing arts, offering a new medium for storytelling and cultural expression.
Films – Motion pictures or movies, which are a series of moving images shown on a screen, usually with sound, that tell a story or provide information. – The films of the silent era, such as those by Charlie Chaplin, laid the groundwork for modern cinematic techniques.
Korea – A region in East Asia, historically significant for its unique cultural developments and its role in global events, particularly during the 20th century. – The division of Korea after World War II led to significant cultural and political changes that are still studied in history courses today.
Acting – The art or occupation of performing fictional roles in plays, films, or television productions. – Method acting, popularized in the mid-20th century, transformed the way actors approached their roles, emphasizing emotional authenticity.
Propaganda – Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view. – During World War II, propaganda films were used extensively by governments to influence public opinion and boost morale.
Escape – The act of breaking free from confinement or control, often used in historical contexts to describe fleeing from oppressive regimes or captivity. – The escape of prisoners from Alcatraz remains one of the most intriguing unsolved mysteries in American history.
Talent – A natural aptitude or skill, particularly in the arts or other creative fields. – The Harlem Renaissance was a period of extraordinary talent, with artists and performers reshaping American culture.
Ideology – A system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy. – The Cold War was characterized by the ideological conflict between capitalism and communism.
Resilience – The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness, often highlighted in historical narratives of survival and perseverance. – The resilience of the British people during the Blitz is a testament to their enduring spirit in the face of adversity.
