Legendary actress CHOI Eun-hee passed away on April 16 at the age of 91 following complications stemming from a chronic disease. She was known as a screen siren of Korean cinema in the 1960s and was famously abducted in the 1970s, along with her husband, director SHIN Sang-ok, and forced to make films in North Korea.

CHOI began her acting career in 1947 and was known as part of the famed ‘troika’ of actresses that dominated Korean cinema in the 1950s and 60s, along with KIM Ji-mee and UM Aeng-ran. She starred in over 130 films during her career, including 17 made during her captivity period in North Korea with director SHIN.

CHOI starred in some of the seminal films of the period, often directed by SHIN, including The Flower In Hell (1958) and Mother And A Guest (1961). Throughout her career, CHOI received several awards, including Best Actress prize from the Moscow International Film Festival for her part in the North Korean film Salt in 1985.

The actress was abducted by North Korean operatives while visiting Hong Kong in 1978. Six months later, her husband SHIN Sang-ok was also taken, once again in Hong Kong as he was trying to ascertain her whereabouts. North Korean leader KIM Jong-il is said to have kidnapped CHOI because she was his favorite actress.