Choi Min Sik revealed that Kim Go Eun’s performance as a shaman in Exhuma was so convincing that he jokingly wondered whether she had real experience in the field.
On August 30, Choi Min Sik appeared in a video uploaded to the YouTube channel Fairy Jae Hyung, where he spoke about acting styles and his experience working on Exhuma.
The veteran actor explained that performers approach their characters in different ways. Some rely more on technique and careful calculation, while others become deeply immersed in their character’s emotions.
He said, “You cannot say one method is better or worse than the other.” Choi Min Sik added that he personally moves between both approaches depending on the project.
Speaking about Exhuma, he said the process was especially enjoyable because of that balance.
The conversation then turned to Kim Go Eun, who played shaman Lee Hwa Rim in the hit supernatural film.
Choi Min Sik joked, “I thought she had a second job.”
He explained that Kim Go Eun’s portrayal felt so realistic that he even asked an actual shaman who worked with the production whether she might secretly have experience as one.
“I asked the shaman, ‘Isn’t she one of you?’” he recalled.
Choi Min Sik continued, “She worked so hard on the shaman performance and did it so well. The shaman told me, ‘She isn’t, so don’t worry.’ I remember feeling relieved.”
His comments were made in a playful tone and were intended as praise for how believable Kim Go Eun’s performance was.
Released in 2024, Exhuma became one of South Korea’s biggest box office hits and received widespread attention for its performances, particularly Kim Go Eun’s intense portrayal of a young shaman.
