His other notable works include Shiri (1999), Lady Vengeance (2005), I Saw the Devil (2010), Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time (2012), New World (2013), and The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014), which became the highest-grossing film in South Korea.

[5] While attending his third year of Daeil High School in Seoul, Choi began acting as a research student at a theater company.

[7] Choi began his professional career as a theatre actor by joining a theater company named 'Ppuri' (극단 뿌리) in 1982.

[9][13] The film, released in 1989, was an adaptation of Lee Mun-yeol's 1987 novel of the same name, portraying the harsh working conditions of female workers in the sewing factory at the Kuro Industrial Complex.

[13] During that same year, Choi acted alongside Son Chang-min, who portrayed law student Hyung-bin, in director Jang Gil-soo's youth melodrama All That Falls Has Wings.

In the film, Choi played the role of Hyung-bin's friend, an art student, and he eagerly put a lot of thought to his character's costumes.

[7] Writer Na Yeon-suk saw his play, fell in love with Choi, and insisted on giving him a role in her next drama The Years of Ambition.

Choi, who practiced method acting in his portrayal of a tough rebellious child with a human side, 'Ku-chong', enjoyed popularity for the first time in his life.

[16] Although busy acting onstage as well as on the small and big screens, Choi was able to finish his studies at Dongguk University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Theater and Film.

[8][17] In 1994, Choi starred alongside Han Suk-kyu in MBC television dramas titled The Moon of Seoul.

In this play, Choi portrayed a taxi driver, Jang Deok-bae, with Uhm Jung-hwa and several theater actors, including Woo Hyeon-joo, Kwon Seong-deok, Lee Yong-yi, Im Won-hee, Shin Ha-kyun, Jung Jae-young, and Yu In-chon, portraying his passengers.

Additionally, Choi acted in the MBC morning drama Love and Separation, consisting of 122 episodes that aired from August 4, 1997, to January 3, 1998.

In this drama, Choi played the lead character Kim Chan-ki, a divorced man who lives with his son and encounters a female kindergarten teacher.

[25] In between doing the drama, In October, Choi reprised his role as taxi driver, Jang Deok-bae in the 21st Seoul Theater Festival and received individual awards as the South Korean representative actor.

But since I was alone, I thought about the essence, wondering if I couldn't endure it and if I had lost sight of why I started theater and what kind of actor I wanted to become.

[18] A year later, Choi portrayed Jang Seung-eop, a Joseon-era painter, in Im Kwon-taek's Chihwaseon, which was awarded the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Choi's exceptional and composed performance in the film propelled his fame in Korea to great heights and introduced him to international audiences.

[34][35][36] In Springtime, Choi takes on a role Hyon-woo, a dissatisfied classically trained trumpet player, who fails to achieve his desired career path and settles for part-time teaching at an academy.

Seeking change, he accepts a job as a band teacher in a small town, where the music program's success is crucial for its survival.

Despite challenges, Hyon-woo embraces his new role, connecting with the locals, including pharmacist Soo-yon and troubled student Jae-il.

[37][38][39][40] At various points during 2006, Choi and other South Korean film industry professionals, together and separate from Choi, demonstrated in Seoul and at the Cannes Film Festival against the South Korean administration's decision to reduce the Screen Quotas from 146 to 73 days as part of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States.

][45] As a sign of protest, Choi returned the prestigious Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit which had been awarded to him, saying, "To halve the screen quota is tantamount to a death sentence for Korean film.

"[46] Over the next four years, Choi went on a self-imposed exile from making films, begun in protest over the screen quota but also partly due to the studios' reluctance to hire the outspoken and politically active actor.

[49][50] During the retrospective on Choi held at the 14th Lyon Asian Film Festival in November 2008, the actor was asked his reaction to the upcoming remake of Oldboy, and he admitted to the French reporters present that he was upset at Hollywood for using what he described as pressure tactics on Asian and European filmmakers so they could remake foreign movies in the United States.

[54][55] Though Kim Jee-woon's 2010 action thriller I Saw the Devil drew criticism from some quarters for its ultra-violent content, reviewers agreed that Choi's performance as a serial killer was memorable and the film emerged as a box office success.

[56][57] Choi did voice acting for Leafie, A Hen into the Wild, which in 2011 became the highest grossing South Korean animated film in history.

[59][60][61] The film gave rise to numerous unforgettable moments and quotable lines, becoming a frequent target for parody in popular television variety shows like Gag Concert and Infinite Challenge.

Written by Jung Bum-shik and Lee Ji-min, the movie is a true story adaptation that explores the dynamic between Sejong the Great (Han Suk-kyu), king of the Joseon dynasty of Korea, and his relationship with his greatest scientist, Jang Yeong-sil (Choi Min-sik).

In 2023, the 27th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival organized a special actor exhibition titled 'I Saw Choi Min-sik'.