[Edaily Reporter Park Ji-hye ] Actress Kim Min-hee (44) has spoken out about the child she had with director Hong Sang-soo (66).

During a Q&A session held around 4:00 p.m. on the 12th (local time) in Locarno, Switzerland, for Director Hong’s new film *Nowhere to Look*, Kim Min-hee said, “This was the first film I shot after giving birth,” adding “It’s been about two years since I gave birth and took a break, so this was my first time filming a movie since then. My circumstances are different now—I’m realistically busy, and since the baby came to the set with me while we were filming, I had to breastfeed and prepare baby food; I think those were the first things I did.”
As she made these remarks, Kim Min-hee glanced at Director Hong, who was sitting next to her, and he nodded.
She continued, “I was so busy I didn’t have a moment to spare—I’d wake up first thing to get everything ready for the baby before preparing for the film. As I went about my routine that way, the version of myself who used to be completely absorbed in movies—the one who would make a firm resolution to immerse myself in the role—disappeared. Instead, I felt healthier being the kind of person who naturally took care of my baby first and then gave my all to the film.”
She continued, “When I watched the film later, I thought the character’s appearance might have resembled the kind of beauty she sees—a beauty that isn’t this or that, but simply appears out of the blue.” She added, “I think the character was shaped by that mindset—not being too obsessed or trying to put on a facade, but fully enjoying everyday life and joyfully embracing each moment—and that’s how she came across.”
Kim Min-hee is known to have given birth last spring.
Director Hong and Kim Min-hee acknowledged their relationship the following year after dating rumors surfaced in 2016.
Director Hong filed for divorce mediation against his wife, Ms. A, in 2016, but the proceedings fell through because Ms. A effectively refused to accept the relevant documents.
Subsequently, the divorce lawsuit filed by Director Hong was dismissed in 2019 based on the court’s ruling that he bore primary responsibility for the breakdown of the marriage. It is reported that Director Hong did not appeal the decision, and the couple remains legally married.
Since then, Kim Min-hee has appeared exclusively in Director Hong’s films.
She won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival for *On the Beach at Night Alone* (2017) and the Best Actress Award at the Locarno Film Festival in 2024 for *Suyu Stream*.
Director Hong, who won the Golden Leopard—the top prize in the competition section at the 2015 Locarno Film Festival—for *Right Now, Wrong Then*, has had his new film, *Nowhere to Look*, invited to the International Competition section of the 79th Locarno Film Festival.
Kim Min-hee not only starred in the film but also served as executive producer.