Current situation of the “ulzzang” actress who made headlines after appearing on the program “Authentic Masterpieces” 

Actress Choi Ri has reportedly ended her exclusive contract with UL Entertainment and become a free agent.

Choi Ri, who is showing various performances, used to make headlines and top real-time searches when she appeared on broadcasts in the past. 

9 years ago, when Choi Ri was in high school, she showed up on KBS’s “TV Show Authentic Masterpieces” and carried her family’s treasure. After the broadcast, Choi Ri rose to the top of real-time searches and became so popular that she earned the nickname “ulzzang high school girl”. (“ulzzang” refers to someone who is very handsome or beautiful)

The appearance on “TV Show Authentic Masterpieces” made Choi Ri want to star in more TV shows and changed her life greatly. It is known that Choi Ri was later cast as the main character in the movie “Spirits’ Homecoming” and unexpectedly walked the path of an actress.

Choi Ri played a young shaman in “Spirits’ Homecoming”, which tells the story of an old lady who used to work as a ‘comfort woman’ for the Japanese military, and successfully made her face and name known to the public. She even won New Rising Award at the 2016 Grand Bell Awards. 

In an interview, Choi Ri, who aroused keen attention since her debut, said, “No matter what I do in the future, I don’t want to become an actress who ruins the reputation of ‘Spirits’ Homecoming’”, expressing her affection for her debut film.

In the same year, Choi Ri appeared in tvN’s drama “Goblin (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God)” as Park Kyung Mi, the cousin of the female lead Ji Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun). Working with actress Yeom Hye Ran, who recently starred in drama “The Glory”, Choi Ri impressed viewers with her stable acting skills despite being a rookie actress. 

Since then, without a break, Choi Ri has proven her acting skills by starring as a supporting actor in the dramas “Come and Hug Me”, “My First First Love”, and the movie “Keys to the Heart”. 

After showing a lively image on the screen for a while, Choi Ri tried to transform herself in 2021 by appearing in the 6th series of Korea’s representative horror film “Whispering Corridors”, “Whispering Corridors 6: The Humming”. To serve the role, Choi Ri made an effort to boldly cut her hair, which she had grown for a long time since her school days, at the director’s request.

In an interview at the time, Choi Ri revealed that the genre she wanted to try was historical drama. She majored in dance and said she wanted to play a character wearing a hanbok.

Afterwards, she played Jo Yeon Hee, who dreams of becoming the mother of Joseon, in KBS’s historical drama “Bloody Heart”. Although it was her first historical drama acting challenge, Choi Ri’s tearful performance in emotional scenes earned her positive reviews from viewers.

In the last episode of “Bloody Heart”, the open ending shows the possibility of season 2 and the story of Jo Yeon Hee’s revenge led by Choi Ri raises expectations for the next part. As Choi Ri’s contract with her existing agency has been terminated, there is no set next work, so attention is being paid to how she will return.

Meanwhile, on December 31st, Choi Ri attended the 2022 KBS Drama Awards and drew attention by wearing a bold black off-the-shoulder dress.

Source: Daum