Kim Min Hee’s Long-Awaited Return and a Resurfaced Controversy
Actress Kim Min Hee is gearing up for her highly anticipated return to the screen, marking her first onscreen appearance in approximately two years. Her comeback is through director Hong Sang Soo’s latest cinematic offering, but the buzz isn’t just about the new film. A notoriously provocative line from an earlier collaboration has unexpectedly resurfaced, sparking a fresh wave of discussion and debate among K-Pop fans and netizens alike.
“Nowhere To Lay My Eyes”: A Significant Comeback Film
The film, titled Nowhere To Lay My Eyes, is Hong Sang Soo’s 35th feature film and has already garnered international attention, receiving an invitation to the prestigious international competition section of the 79th Locarno Film Festival, which kicks off on August 5. The movie follows the character Sang Hee as she embarks on a journey to Jeju Island with her younger brother, searching for their mother, whom she hasn’t seen in a decade. Kim Min Hee stars alongside a talented cast including Choi Myung Gil, Kwon Hae Hyo, Shin Seok Ho, and Park Mi So. Notably, this project also marks Choi Myung Gil’s first collaboration with Hong, who reportedly took on multiple roles for the film, handling directing, screenplay, cinematography, sound, editing, and even the music himself. For Kim Min Hee, Nowhere To Lay My Eyes holds additional significance beyond its artistic merit; it represents her official return to acting after childbirth. While she has remained involved with Hong’s recent films in a production manager capacity, this marks her first time back in an acting role on screen.
The Provocative Line from “On the Beach at Night Alone” Resurfaces
As the spotlight shifts back to Kim Min Hee and Hong Sang Soo’s professional partnership, Korean netizens have been quick to revisit a particularly memorable scene from their 2017 film, On the Beach at Night Alone. In that movie, Kim portrayed Young Hee, an actress grappling with the aftermath of a controversial relationship with a married film director. The striking parallels between the film’s premise and the real-life controversy surrounding Kim and Hong led audiences to scrutinize its dialogue intensely upon its initial release. Now, with Kim Min Hee’s comeback on the horizon, one specific line from that film is once again circulating widely online, reigniting the discussion.
I don’t care about men’s looks anymore. Handsome men all act like they know how handsome they are. And I’ve really lived it up with them already. Now I’m going to do whatever I want before I die.
— Kim Min Hee’s Character
This particular declaration, “I no longer care about a man’s looks,” spoken by Kim Min Hee’s character, has been interpreted by many viewers as unusually personal, despite being scripted dialogue from a fictional role. Before her highly publicized relationship with Hong, Kim Min Hee had dated several celebrities widely admired for their striking good looks, including Lee Jung Jae, Jo In Sung, and Lee Soo Hyuk. This history made her character’s seemingly indifferent statement about physical appearance feel especially pointed and provocative to audiences. Nine years later, as Kim prepares to promote yet another movie made with Hong Sang Soo, this very line has resurfaced, and the online reactions have been nothing short of ruthless. Some netizens sarcastically quipped that even attractive men with inflated egos would still be preferable to an older, less conventionally attractive man – or, as some pointedly mentioned, “an old one like Hong Sang Soo” – behaving similarly. Others openly questioned whether the line was an improvisation or intentionally crafted to echo Kim Min Hee’s real-life romantic history.
Netizen Reactions: “An Affair is an Affair”
The comments shared online reflect a strong, often critical, sentiment regarding the resurfaced line and the ongoing situation:
- “Hong Sang Soo has so much money that he basically made a movie to justify his affair with her.”
- “She avoided handsome men who were full of themselves and chose an old, unattractive, and selfish man instead. Her personal preference would be one thing, but did she also have to choose a married man?”
- “Even if a handsome man were full of himself, you could probably tolerate it. What use is an unattractive, old, pathetic man?”
- “What an absurd line.”
- “The conclusion is simply that she ended up with an extremely old married man. That is it.”
- “Aren’t her ex-boyfriends all doing perfectly well? We do not know their private lives, but they built successful careers and married beautiful actresses. Meanwhile, Hong Sang Soo is a married man without looks or charm. Her final choice is the strangest one.”
- “The line about handsome men is so funny. I cannot stop laughing.”
- “Don’t Hong Sang Soo’s movies usually give the actors a situation rather than writing every line for them?”
- “A handsome man who is full of himself would still be better.”
- “If both attractive and unattractive men are going to act the same way, wouldn’t it still be better to choose the attractive one?”
- “Who said anything about looks? We’re disgusted that you chose a married man.”
- “OK, but wouldn’t you rather have a good-looking man over an ugly one if they’re both going to act stupid?”
- “Yeah whatever. An affair is an affair.”
Kim Min Hee and Hong Sang Soo publicly confirmed their relationship in 2017. Despite years of intense public criticism, Hong has remained legally married, and the pair have consistently continued their cinematic collaborations. Kim’s upcoming return with Nowhere To Lay My Eyes will also bring her back to the Locarno Film Festival, a venue where she previously received the Best Performance award for By the Stream in 2024. Festival organizers have lauded Nowhere To Lay My Eyes for its ability to convey the “meaning, beauty, and complexity of life” through its striking imagery, poignant dialogue, and meaningful encounters. As of now, whether Kim Min Hee will personally attend the prestigious event has not yet been announced.
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