If you’ve spent any time watching Pachinko on Apple TV+, you know that the character of Kim Sunja isn’t just a person. She's a force. She is the heartbeat of a story that spans nearly a century, surviving colonization, war, and the kind of crushing poverty that breaks most people. But because the show jumps around so much in time, it’s easy to get a little turned around regarding who is actually on screen.
Honestly, casting a character like Sunja is a nightmare for a producer. You need someone who can play a wide-eyed kid, a hardened teenager, and a wise-but-weary grandmother—all while making it feel like the same soul is living behind those eyes. Somehow, they pulled it off.
The short answer is that three different actresses play Kim Sunja across the timelines: Jeon Yu-na (the child), Minha Kim (the young adult), and the legendary Youn Yuh-jung (the elder).
The Breakout Star: Who Played Kim Sunja in the 1930s?
Most of the heavy lifting in the early years of the story falls on Minha Kim. Before Pachinko, she wasn't exactly a household name, even in South Korea. That changed basically overnight.
Minha Kim plays the "young adult" version of Sunja. She is the one we see falling for the charismatic but dangerous Koh Hansu (played by Lee Min-ho) in the fish markets of Busan. She’s also the one who has to make the terrifying choice to leave her mother behind and move to Osaka, Japan, with a kind pastor named Isak.
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What makes Minha’s performance so raw is her face. She has this incredible way of looking completely vulnerable and terrifyingly stubborn at the exact same time. It’s not just acting; it feels like witnessing survival. In interviews, she’s mentioned that she didn't even try to coordinate her performance with the older version of Sunja. She wanted to focus entirely on the "now" of the character—the dirt under the fingernails and the immediate fear of a woman trying to feed her children in a country that hates her.
The Icon: Youn Yuh-jung as the Elder Sunja
If you recognize the woman playing the 1989 version of Sunja, it’s probably because she’s a literal trailblazer. Youn Yuh-jung is the first Korean actress to win an Academy Award (for her role in Minari), and she brings that same "don't mess with me" energy to Pachinko.
In the 1980s timeline, Sunja is a grandmother living in Japan. She’s watching her grandson, Solomon, navigate the high-stakes world of international finance, and she’s the one who provides the moral compass for the whole family.
Youn Yuh-jung doesn't play Sunja as a saint. She plays her as a woman who has seen too much and has very little patience for nonsense. There’s a scene where she eats a bowl of Korean rice for the first time in decades, and the way her face crumples tells you more about the immigrant experience than a thousand history books ever could.
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The Youngest Sunja: Jeon Yu-na
We can’t forget the kid who started it all. Jeon Yu-na plays Sunja as a young girl in the earliest 1910s/20s scenes. While she only appears in a few episodes (mostly as a guest in Season 1), she sets the entire tone.
She’s the one who shows us the relationship Sunja had with her father, Hoonie. Those early scenes are vital because they explain why Sunja is so resilient. She was loved fiercely as a child, and that love becomes the armor she wears for the rest of her life. Jeon Yu-na has since gone on to win awards for other shows like The Kidnapping Day, proving that the Pachinko casting directors really knew how to spot talent.
Why the "Sunja" Casting Works So Well
Usually, when a show uses multiple actors for one role, there’s a "glitch in the Matrix" feeling. You don't quite believe they are the same person. Pachinko avoids this because of the shared physical language between the three actresses.
- The Silence: All three versions of Sunja speak volumes without saying a word.
- The Resilience: Whether it's a 7-year-old girl diving for abalone or an 80-year-old woman facing down a real estate developer, the "spine" of the character is identical.
- The Language: The actresses had to navigate complex shifts between Korean, Japanese, and various dialects (like the Busan satoori), which adds a layer of realism you just don't see in standard dramas.
Essential Facts for Pachinko Fans
If you're trying to keep the cast straight while binge-watching Season 2 or revisiting Season 1, here is the quick breakdown of the Sunja lineage:
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- Childhood Sunja (1910s): Played by Jeon Yu-na. Look for her in the early Busan scenes with her father.
- Teen/Young Adult Sunja (1930s-1940s): Played by Minha Kim. She covers the era of the forbidden romance, the move to Japan, and the struggle of World War II.
- Elder Sunja (1989): Played by Youn Yuh-jung. She is the matriarch dealing with her grandson Solomon in the Tokyo "bubble economy" era.
How to Follow the Actresses Now
Since Pachinko became a global hit, these three women have stayed busy. Minha Kim has become a fashion icon and a regular at international film festivals. Youn Yuh-jung continues to be the "Grandmother of Korea," taking on roles that challenge how we see older women on screen.
To truly appreciate the depth of who played Kim Sunja, pay close attention to the transitions between timelines. Notice how a specific look of determination on young Minha Kim’s face mirrors the weary but steady gaze of Youn Yuh-jung. It’s one of the best examples of collaborative acting in modern television.
For those looking to dive deeper into the world of Pachinko, the best next step is to watch the "Behind the Scenes" features on Apple TV+, which specifically detail the grueling audition process Minha Kim went through to secure the role. It took months of chemistry reads to ensure the connection between her and the rest of the Baek family felt authentic.