A South Korean actress once kidnapped by North Korea and forced to make films for the state has died at the age of 91.
Considered as one of the most famous leading actresses in South Korea, Choi Eun-hee was kidnapped under the orders of Kim Jong-il in the late 1970s.
Several months later, Choi's ex-husband, a famous film director, was also abducted. The duo later escaped.
However, North Korea continued to deny the accusations of abducting the couple, saying they had sought sanctuary there.
Choi died on Monday afternoon in a hospital located in South Korea.
"My mother passed when she went to hospital for kidney dialysis this afternoon," Choi's eldest son, director Shin Jeong-gyun, told news outlet Yonhap.
Choi's abduction
She and her then-husband Shin Sang-ok eventually rose to be among South Korea's most celebrated film directors and stars.
But by the late 1970s, the couple had divorced and Choi's career had hit a slump.
It was during that time that Choi was approached by someone posing as a Hong Kong businessman with a proposal to form a film-making company which would revive her fortunes.
According to the book "A Kim Jong-il Production", she was persuaded to go to Hong Kong. Once in Hong Kong, she was immediately grabbed and sedated by a group of men.
Eight days later, she found herself in Pyongyang in a luxurious villa that was constantly guarded.
Despite being divorced, Shin and his ex-wife had remained close and he went to Hong Kong to search for her. He too was later abducted.
The late Kim Jong-il was said to be a great film buff and an avid watcher of Hollywood movies. He had hoped that the couple's presence in the North could help their film industry compete on the international stage.
After eight years, the couple won Kim's trust and were allowed to travel to Vienna to promote their films.
While in Vienna, the duo sought political asylum at the US embassy. They returned to South Korea years later and Shin died in 2006.
The bizarre tale has gone on to grip audiences across the globe. In 2016, a film titled "The Lovers and the Despot" premiered and followed the life of the couple as they were kidnapped and taken to North Korea.
While South Korea's film industry has been mourning for the death of yet another valuable actress, Choi have left quite a positive impression to just to her family but to her fans as well.
Choi's funeral will be held on Thursday, April 19, 2018 in Seoul.
