When we first catch a glimpse of Sunja, played by Minha Kim, in the highly anticipated second season of “Pachinko,” she stands resolutely in a bustling marketplace in Osaka. Her voice rings through the air before her face is seen as she entices the thronging crowds to buy her homemade kimchi. She speaks passionately about its deliciousness, culminating her pitch with, “Come, get a taste of home.”
For Minha Kim, the journey began in 2021, when she started filming for the first season of “Pachinko,” marking only her second professional acting role and her first American production. The young actor embarked on the formidable challenge of portraying the central character from Min Jin Lee’s celebrated novel. The sweeping narrative spans four generations, chronicling a family’s odyssey through love, loss, grief, and survival. Her critically acclaimed performance earned Minha a nomination for a Gotham Award for Outstanding Performance in a New Series and a Breakout in TV honor at the 2022 Asian American Award’s Unforgettable Gala. Earlier this year, she was also featured in RM of BTS’s music video, “Come back to me.”
In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, Minha spoke about her return to “Pachinko” for its second season, revealing that her approach remained consistent with the first season but required additional depth due to the new time jump. “I think the most important part for me is to feel genuinely and in an authentic way. A time jump meant I had to maintain her personality and work on building my own stories of Sunja,” she shared.
Set in 1945, the second season plunges viewers into Osaka, which is currently ravaged by war. Sunja, now more mature and burdened with greater responsibilities, faces an array of challenges. Her husband is missing, possibly imprisoned, and she must care for her two young sons amid scarce resources and tight financial conditions. Her anxiety extends to her mother, still residing in Japanese-occupied Korea, a home Sunja left behind to join her husband in Osaka. The remnants of her past life are preserved in the kimchi she makes and the Korean language she converses in with her sons.
Director Leanne Welham praised Minha’s portrayal of Sunja, describing her as a “smart actor.” Leanne acknowledged the difficulty of stepping into a second season and praised Minha for embodying all the experiences without making them feel burdensome, highlighting her intelligence and intuition. “She has this luminance about her when she’s on camera, which is unusual and amazing to work with,” she added. The new season also features directors Arvin Chen and Sang-il Lee, with dialogues in Japanese, Korean, and English.
Reflecting on her character, Minha noted that despite Sunja’s significant responsibilities, her love ensures they do not feel burdensome. Sunja’s emotional struggles and the extraordinary circumstances she faces as an ordinary woman were a constant focus during filming. “Every situation that she is facing is quite hard. What I tried to do as the character is to just accept it and admit it, something that I feel Sunja is very good at.
. She just… goes on,” Minha explained.
Sunja’s journey throughout the show involves making crucial decisions for herself and her family, decisions that shape their future. “Even if she has a moment where she is confused, she is never lost for too long and realizes there is no right or wrong in the situation. She is very fast. She has a responsibility to protect her family and protect herself as well,” Minha elaborated.
This depth of responsibility required Minha to ensure her portrayal was multi-dimensional. “I wanted to bring some diversity in my emotions. It isn’t always the same, and I wanted to build this individual’s relationships with other characters as well,” she stated.
The new season, set seven years after the first, shows Sunja’s sons now ages eight and thirteen. She has found a reliable support system in her sister-in-law, Kyunghee. Meanwhile, Koh Hansu (played by Lee Min-ho) makes a return, reigniting the drama of their shared and troubled history.
Minha Kim’s enthusiasm was evident when discussing the ensemble cast, which includes esteemed actors like Jung Eun-chae, Lee Min-ho, Steve Sanghyun Noh, Jin Ha, and Yuh-jung Youn. “They are great actors, and we had many conversations about our characters and relationships. But we mostly followed our own instincts, trusted each other, and had faith in our own characters. We believed each other,” she said.
Anticipation for the upcoming season was palpable when Lee Min-ho shared pictures on Instagram of him and Minha in New York, captioned humorously, “hansu & sunja in newyork.” These candid moments delighted fans, highlighting the camaraderie among the cast. “The entire cast had a great relationship off camera and got to hang out in Korea after filming. I think this really helped us on set,” Minha noted with a smile.
Catch the premiere of “Pachinko” Season 2 on Apple TV+ on August 23, and immerse yourself in this gripping narrative that continues to explore the enduring spirit of a family through decades of trials and triumphs.
