She was cast in her first major role in 1996 film "The Gate of Destiny", but her limited acting skills resulted in her being replaced during filming. In the next couple of years Choi continued to star in both TV dramas and films, including "The Hole" (the Original version of Hollywood thriller "Hush"), as well as the romantic comedies "First Kiss" with Ahn Jae-wook and "The Romantic President" with Ahn Sung-ki. It was her portrayals on TV of tragic heroines with a pure and innocent image—notably in "Truth" opposite Ryu Si-won and "Beautiful Days" opposite Lee Byung-hun—that boosted her rising popularity.