KBS broadcast screen capture

A point of pride for Korean original musicals, the lead of the musical ‘Secretly Greatly: THE LAST’, Choi Eun-kyung, moved audiences deeply as she shared the fierce journey of challenge through which she transformed from an audience member into an actor.

On the 3rd, Choi Eun-kyung appeared on the ‘Tuesday Guest Corner’ of KBS ‘Morning Yard’ and not only shared various stories about unceasing challenges, but also spoke candidly about the musical ‘Secretly Greatly:THE LAST’, which is currently playing to enthusiastic response at NOL Theater Daehangno Woori Card Hall in Seoul.

Active across various fields, Choi Eun-kyung drew admiration with her thorough self-management and a clear pursuit of ‘on and off’. In particular, she revealed that she is managing herself even more strictly than usual to stand on the musical stage, confessing an exceptional sense of responsibility: “I must not be the one to ruin things among musical actors who are so skilled and hardworking. If I do not fill the gaps I am responsible for, it will be the only thing that stands out.”

Her heartfelt affection for the musical ‘Secretly Greatly:THE LAST’ also came through. Choi Eun-kyung said, “Following the webtoon and film, it was produced as a musical, and this is the 10th-anniversary run,” adding, “Before, it was in a small theater, and this time, moving to a large venue has made the martial arts and dance tremendous. The numbers were outstanding to begin with. It is a show where everyone leaves with hearts in their eyes.”

In this work, Choi Eun-kyung takes on a bold transformation as ‘Sun-im’, the supermarket owner who serves as a solid pillar for Dong-gu, embarking on a new challenge. She defined the role by saying, “I set the details as a grandmother with a fiery, lively, powerful personality,” and in the musical highlight scene released together, she perfectly transformed into a grandmother, captivating attention with a wide range of charms that span not only singing but also emotional acting and comic acting.

Choi Eun-kyung also revealed a behind-the-scenes story that when she first received the offer to appear in a musical, she waved it off, saying, “I absolutely cannot do it.” As a passionate musical audience member, she had thought musicals were a field she should not even attempt, but the fact that it was a ‘grandmother’ role moved her, and with director Chu Jeong-hwa’s assurance and encouragement of ‘you can do it’, she decided to take on the challenge.

Known for a perfectionist streak, Choi Eun-kyung recalled her rehearsal period, confessing, “I felt again in musical practice the fear I had when, during my announcer days, I was made to give a three-minute speech every day. I wanted to go home every day, but I had to do it, so I truly got through it somehow.”

She continued, “When I first did radio DJ work, I would listen for two hours every day and think, ‘I will fix this part then’, and it feels like I have gone back to being a new hire from that time,” adding, “I put down a program I had done for a long time and now, even reducing what I had been doing, I feel I am at an age where I must somehow do well, and yet I did something new. With musicals, I was truly nervous for fear that if I did not do well I would cause harm, but I rather like that kind of tension.”

From there, Choi Eun-kyung’s ‘Now I Can Tell You’ segment unfolded in earnest. She looked back on her past activities as she spoke about topics such as ‘a prodigy who entered elementary school at age six’, ‘gave up the path of a teacher and got a job at a foreign company’, ‘was accepted because it was a character no one had ever seen’, and ‘a story of bawling because she did not want to act’. Her human, relatable tales of challenge and episodes captivated viewers.

Finally, regarding the musical ‘Secretly Greatly:THE LAST’, Choi Eun-kyung emphasized, “We are almost a third of the way through now. From here on, you will be able to see the actors soar even more,” and added, “The cast is diverse and the combinations give off different vibes, so there are truly many people who watch multiple times. The weather is getting nicer, there is lots of good food in Daehangno, and if you include the show, it makes for a perfect day course.”

The musical ‘Secretly Greatly:THE LAST’, in which Choi Eun-kyung appears, is based on the webtoon of the same name by author HUN, chosen by 1,000만 readers, and depicts elite agents of the 5446 special operations unit of North Korea infiltrating a hillside shantytown in the South with the grand mission of national reunification. It portrays the stories that unfold as they live disguised respectively as a village fool, an aspiring singer, and a high school student, and the original was also made into a film that drew 700만 viewers. This 10th-anniversary production and sixth season has moved to a large theater with 1,000 seats, expanding its scale into a 17-person large-theater version and writing a new chapter in K-musical history.

The musical ‘Secretly Greatly:THE LAST’ runs at NOL Theater Daehangno Woori Card Hall in Seoul until April 26.