Actor Kim Nam-gil surprised his fans and the entertainment industry on Wednesday by announcing that he recently established a talent agency, Gil Story Entertainment.

Kim is the co-CEO of the agency with Han Jae-duk, CEO of Sanai Pictures.

According to Kim, the new entertainment company was not established to represent him, but rather as an agency to recruit artists and manage and support their careers.

“Together with Gil Story, I’ll continue to pursue my acting career as well,” said Kim. “Through Gil Story, we’ll be recruiting artists from diverse backgrounds and also expanding the business to developing intellectual property. Please stay tuned.”

Kim is currently filming “Night Voyage” (translated) and his films “Guardian” and “Emergency Declaration” are set to hit local theaters this year.

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]