Kim Sunja’s resilient journey is the heartbeat of Pachinko, the multilingual Apple TV+ series that is back with its second season on August 23, 2024. The titular protagonist is played by Oscar winner Youn Yuh Jung (as older Sunja) and Kim Min Ha (as younger Sunja), and it’s a testament to both fine artists for bringing to cinematic light a powerful character with utmost grace.
Kim Min Ha — who started acting in 2016 — gained international recognition for her soul-stirring performance as Sunja in Pachinko. The restrained emotional depth she brings to her character is astonishing to witness, and she continues to shine in Pachinko 2. The second season occurs at the onset of the Korean War as Sunja, now a mother of two, does everything she can to protect her family.
Sunja encounters various heartbreaking instances throughout Pachinko 2 where you imagine her crumbling and breaking down. However, Sunja does the opposite. She stays strong and carries on, all for her family. While speaking to GQ India, Kim Min Ha touched upon showcasing Sunja’s true emotions despite her tough exterior being an obstacle: “The whole incident that’s happening around her and the whole change, it’s very difficult, it’s chaos. But I thought that if as Sunja, I break down, Sunja’s family breaks down. I knew it. So there was no time for me (as Sunja) to break down and collapse. At the same time, she’s always open to the moments that she can break down, but she doesn’t. She just doesn’t do that because she’s so strong.”
“She’s not doing it on purpose. I think it’s just in her blood and that’s the strength that she’s having. So by portraying it, I just did it without thinking about it because just like Sunja did, I wanted to follow how she feels and how she thinks. I don’t think it was a big challenge in terms of that because I trusted Sunja and I just had to follow my instinct and Sunja’s instinct,” Kim Min Ha added.
Like in the first season, Sunja and Koh Hansu’s (Lee Min Ho) push-and-pull dynamic relationship remains pivotal in Pachinko 2. There’s a growing divide within viewers when it comes to Sunja’s love for Hansu and whether it was, in fact, true love. “I think Sunja’s love towards Hansu never changed,” Kim Min Ha proclaimed before explaining, “It’s just a different kind of love. I believe that Sunja had loved Hansu for her entire life, but it’s so powerful and it’s almost very destructive and very painful. I mean think about it; if she doesn’t love him, why would she be very shocked when they first end, and the 14 years after?! I don’t think that would happen. I would just think, ‘Never mind.’ And if she doesn’t love him, I don’t think that she would keep trying to let him in her life. I think the power of love towards Hansu is so good and in the end, it became the engine for her to lead her life and maintain her family.”
