Actress Choi Kang-hee travels with a manager following a stalking incident involving three to four individuals, as reported by sportschosun.com on October 4, 2026. The return to professional staffing coincides with her comeback to the stage in the play Closer after a five-year hiatus from acting.
Choi Kang-hee Adds a Road Manager After Stalkers
On the October 3, 2026 episode of the MBC variety show Omniscient Interfering View, Choi appeared traveling in a vehicle driven by a manager, departing from her habit of driving herself to schedules, sportschosun.com reported. Explaining the operational change, Choi stated that she made a prior agreement with her close friend and agency head, Song Eun-i, to secure professional staff upon resuming acting. According to sportschosun.com, Choi identified the root cause as a stalking situation involving three or four people. “Some of them may not have bad intentions, and some may be sincere, but I feel afraid,” she said on the broadcast, as noted by sportschosun.com.
Song Eun-i addressed the arrangement on the program by noting that an experienced companion would help Choi feel comfortable during her return, according to sportschosun.com. The television disclosure follows public warnings Choi issued on social media in July. At that time, she reported finding notes threatening to follow her car if she did not respond, and she publicly asked individuals to stop coming to look for her, stating that uninvited visits, waiting, and following constitute stalking regardless of intent.
Five-Year Hiatus and Stage Debut in Closer
Choi’s return to the entertainment industry centers on her role as the photographer Anna in a theatrical production of Closer. The engagement marks her first theatrical challenge following an absence from acting that began after her appearance in the 2021 KBS2 drama Hello, Me!, according to sportschosun.com. Reflecting on the decision to step away during an appearance on Lee Sung-mi’s program, Choi explained that professional pressure had accumulated over time. “At some point I became tired and scared and my mental state collapsed a lot,” Choi was quoted as saying. Further details from Omniscient Interfering View revealed Choi confessed, “One time, the cue came, but I couldn’t act… The director said, ‘Ms. Kang-hee, your cue just came in. You weren’t acting, were you?'” With multiple pressures mounting, she concluded she was no longer happy.
During her time away from broadcasting, Choi supported herself through various activities. She considered working at a mask factory during the COVID-19 pandemic before taking a position at a barbecue restaurant through an acquaintance, and she also considered celebrity-focused cleaning and learning massage. Her agency head, Song Eun-i, recalled that Choi maintained a deep affection for performing throughout the break, telling her on the first day of play rehearsals, “Unni, this is so much fun. I don’t know if I can do it well, but it’s so much fun.”
Common Questions About Choi Kang-hee’s Return
Why did Choi Kang-hee take a five-year break from acting?
Choi stepped away from the industry after finishing the 2021 KBS2 drama Hello, Me! because she felt persistent tension and pressure that left her unhappy, telling viewers of Omniscient Interfering View that she once froze when a director called an acting cue.
What role does Choi Kang-hee play in her comeback project?
She plays the photographer Anna in a theatrical production of the play Closer, marking her first-ever stage performance after a five-year hiatus from acting.
How did Choi Kang-hee support herself during her hiatus?
She lived by strictly minimizing her expenses and worked at a barbecue restaurant through an acquaintance after initially planning to take a job at a mask factory during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who is accompanying Choi Kang-hee to her schedules now?
A manager provided by her close friend and agency head, Song Eun-i, now accompanies Choi to her professional engagements, a precaution established after Choi reported being targeted by three or four stalkers, sportschosun.com reported.
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