Actor Kim Min-ha [Noon Company]
Actor Kim Min-ha [Noon Company]

Actor Kim Min-ha will serve as the sole host of the opening ceremony of the 31st Busan International Film Festival, set to take place in October.

The festival announced Friday that it had selected Kim as the ceremony's solo host, describing her as "the most clearly rising actor at this moment" to join the festival on its new journey following the introduction of a competition section last year.

Kim made her debut in 2016 and has steadily built her filmography across both film and television. She drew wide attention for her portrayal of young Sunja in Apple TV+'s globally acclaimed series "Pachinko," bringing nuance and depth to a character who endures the turbulence of history with resilience.

She has since appeared in the drama series "Light Shop," "One Week Before I Die" and "Typhoon Senior." Most recently she took on the role of Hyeseon — a North Korean defector navigating an unfamiliar world alone — in the film "Hana Korea," convincingly capturing the layered emotions of a character adapting to a new society after her escape.

Demonstrating versatile acting ability across a range of genres, Kim has collected a string of honors: the Best Actress award in the international competition section at the 2025 Seoul Drama Awards, the Best New Actress award at the 2025 Blue Dragon Series Awards, and the Rising Star Female Actor award at the 2026 Korea First Brand Awards, cementing her standing as a next-generation icon of Korean cinema.

The festival said the choice of host "reflects our attention to Kim Min-ha's singular path — one in which she has faithfully represented the inner lives of her characters through deeply considered interpretations in every project." It added that it expects "her composed and assured presence as host to further elevate the prestige of the festival, as she has long captivated audiences with a manner that is both serious and spirited across her diverse body of work."

The 31st Busan International Film Festival runs Oct. 6 through Oct. 15 at the Busan Cinema Center and surrounding venues.


balme@heraldcorp.com