[Busan = E-Daily Starin Reporter Choi Hee-jae ] “The characters’ names were Navi and Soibeshu.” (Laughs)

On the 10th, Shin Min-a shared details about her role in *The Remarried Empress* and key points to watch for during the “Actors’ House” event held at the Culture Hall on the 9th floor of the Shinsegae Department Store Centum City branch in Haeundae-gu, Busan, as part of the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).

It has been a long time since Shin Min-a last wore period drama costumes, dating back to the drama “The Legend of Arang and the Magistrate.” She said, “‘The Legend of Arang and the Magistrate’ was a fusion historical fantasy. I hadn’t done a traditional historical drama before,” adding, “Since it was my first time, there were challenging parts, but there were also parts that were fun.”

She also recalled the moment she first encountered the project. “I read the script first, and at first I thought, ‘What is this?’” Shin Min-ah said with a laugh. “The characters’ names were Nabie and Sobieshu.” She continued, “I heard the original webtoon was incredibly popular, so I read it. While the original has many characters and storylines, we had to create a complete narrative arc within just 10 episodes.”

Shin Min-a described *The Remarried Empress* as “the story of an empress—and a woman—who experiences betrayal, divorce, and marriage, and ultimately makes a new choice,” adding, “I hoped to portray her as a relatable character that many people could empathize with and understand.”

In portraying Nabie, she placed emphasis not only on her status as empress but also on the emotions and sense of self she experiences as an individual. Shin Min-ah remarked, “Isn’t it the case that her husband, whom she’d been with since childhood, cheated on her?” She continued, “I thought both I and the viewers could share in the emotions that arise from that situation.”

She added, “When portraying her concern for the people, I aimed to maintain the dignity and gravitas befitting an empress while still connecting with the audience on a human level,” and continued, “I really hoped that many people would follow the story from Nabie’s perspective and feel her emotions.”

“The Remarried Empress” is a romantic fantasy epic that follows Empress Nabie of the Dongdae Empire as she receives a divorce notice from Emperor Sobiesh—who has fallen for Rasta, a runaway slave—and subsequently chooses to remarry Prince Henry of the Western Kingdom. Shin Min-a stars as Nabie, co-starring alongside Joo Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-suk, and Lee Se-young. The series will premiere on Disney+ on the 4th of next month.

Shin Min-a, who debuted as a fashion magazine model in 1998, began her acting career in 2001 with the film *Volcano High*. Since then, she has appeared in films such as *Madeleine*, *A Bittersweet Life*, *Kitchen*, and *My Love, My Bride*, as well as TV dramas including *Beautiful Days*, *The Devil*, *My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho*, *Oh My Venus*, *Coastal Village Cha-Cha-Cha*, *Our Blues*, and *Bad Connection*. This year, she helped drive the box office success of the film *The Pupil*.

The 31st Busan International Film Festival will be held throughout Busan until the 15th at venues including the Busan Cinema Center, CGV Centum City, Lotte Cinema Centum City, the Korean Film Council’s Standard Screening Room, the Sohyang Theater Woori Bank Hall, and the Busan Viewers’ Media Center Public Hall.