[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] “I still have a lot to show you. Since I don’t have a manager, I’ll have to work harder on my own to promote myself. Hahaha.”

Actor Choi Min-sik spoke about his approach to the film *The Intern* during a pre-release interview held on the afternoon of the 7th at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul.
“The Intern” tells the story of “Ki-ho” (Choi Min-sik), a silver-haired intern with 37 years of experience, who joins the company of “Seon-woo” (Han So-hee), a dark horse in the fashion industry who rose to prominence just three years after launching her brand.
“The Intern” is a Korean remake of the 2015 film of the same name, starring Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway. Choi Min-sik plays the role of Ki-ho, the veteran intern, in the film.

There must have been some pressure involved in remaking a film that gained worldwide popularity. In a previous interview, Choi Min-sik even said, “I won’t do any more remakes.” When asked about this, Choi Min-sik laughed and said, “I was just joking.”
“It would be a lie to say I didn’t feel any pressure,” he said. “As I mentioned at the press screening, when you look at countless literary works, music, movies, and dramas, even when people say, ‘No one can do it better than that actor,’ many people still keep taking on the challenge and reinterpreting them. Even if it fails, that’s what creativity is all about.”
If Hollywood has Robert De Niro, Korea has Choi Min-sik. Choi Min-sik summed up his iconic character in a single sentence: “He’s not a Western gentleman; he’s a Korean middle-aged man.”
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel any pressure about whether I could portray the role well,” he said. Still, he added, “There’s a sense of anticipation and excitement when I live as a new character in a new world and connect with the audience. I try not to fall into a rut. Stagnation is something all creators must guard against.”
He continued, “Trying something new is definitely a source of inspiration. Even if I hear people say, ‘Choi Min-sik shouldn’t do that,’ the fact that I took on the challenge is enough. That’s what this project meant to me.”

Choi Min-sik co-starred with Han So-hee, who played Seon-woo. Choi Min-sik quipped, “I’ve worked with plenty of male actors—the kind of faces you’d rather not run into on a dark street. When would I ever get the chance to work with Han So-hee?” drawing laughter.
He said of Han So-hee, “She was an actress I was curious about.” Choi Min-sik praised her, saying, “She was down-to-earth, cool, and had a great attitude. She was surprisingly easygoing, and as a senior actor, I was grateful for that.”
He continued, “I could tell Han So-hee was giving it her all. I heard she told the production team she wanted this role more than anyone else,” and shared a behind-the-scenes story: “When the director asked, ‘Who do you have in mind?’ Han So-hee said she wanted the part the most.”
He continued, “It’s the kind of role that’s played by someone who approaches it with that much enthusiasm. I felt she was similar to Seon-woo. As for our chemistry, that’s something you only know once you’ve worked together.”
Reflecting on his younger co-stars—including Han So-hee, Kim Yo-han, and Yoon Sang-jeong—Choi Min-sik remarked, “They were unhesitant and courageous in expressing themselves.” He expressed his gratitude, saying, “That attitude rubbed off on me, and we ended up having fun together. It wasn’t that I took the lead; rather, their flexible attitudes rubbed off on me.”

When asked what was different, he said, “The way they express themselves is already different. I’m naturally lazy, so I don’t use social media, but even the words they use are different.”
Choi Min-sik, who learned new slang terms like “Eojjeol TV” and “Gamda-dwi” through this project, remarked, “There’s even an ‘Eojjeol Refrigerator’ on Eojjeol TV. I thought, ‘Does this even make sense? Why is there an Eojjeol Washing Machine?’”
When asked if he had any plans to join social media, he drew attention by replying, “I think all tragedies stem from there.” He then revealed his personal philosophy, saying, “I don’t want to communicate with the world that way. I want to face the world one-on-one.”
Choi Min-sik, who played a professor in his previous film, *The Boy at the Back of the Class*, takes on the role of a senior intern in this new work. When asked about his brief experience in the corporate world, he joked, “I think being a freelancer is better.” He continued, “There was a time when I envied that. When I’d visit the offices of film companies, production companies, or investment firms, they’d have their own desks, laptops, stuffed animals, calendars, and speakers, right?”
Choi Min-sik said, “Since I’ve never worked in an office, I used to think it would be nice to have my own desk, but I don’t think it’s something to envy,” and showed off his witty sense of humor by adding, “If I were to work, maybe as a tour guide? I’d have to tell people, ‘Please be here by such-and-such time.’”
Post-release, stage greeting events with Han So-hee are also scheduled. Choi Min-sik drew laughter by saying, “If they tell me to come here, I’ll come; if they tell me to go there, I’ll go.” He continued, “Why feel burdened? It’s something to be grateful for. The audience is coming to the theaters. In the past, people would just leave after watching a movie, but now audiences enjoy it like a festival together with the actors, don’t they?”
He continued, “What’s so hard about that? If the movie theater itself becomes a space for cultural enjoyment, I’m all for it. It’s only a few minutes per theater. How great is that?”

Choi Min-sik, who wants to tell young people to “live as your heart desires,” said, “I wouldn’t dare presume to give advice, but since I’ve lived that way myself, I have no regrets.” Where will Choi Min-sik’s heart lead him next? He said, “I want to connect with audiences through new worlds and new characters in even better works. I have a strong desire for that. I like trying on new roles.”
“The Intern” opens on the 16th.