Actor Kim Min caught an anaconda in New Zealand? It was actually giant kelp

Actor Kim Min has revealed the truth behind a story in which he once claimed to have caught an anaconda overseas — it turned out to be not a snake but an enormous piece of kelp.

According to Mydaily, Kim appeared Tuesday on KBS 1TV's morning talk show "Achim Madang" alongside Kim Hyeong-muk, Park Seong-ho, Lee Sang-hun, Baek Bong-gi and Lee Jeong-hyeon.

Kim said he has been feeling a surge in popularity following a recent appearance on MBC variety show "I Live Alone."

Videos from that appearance racked up high view counts and drew wide attention. "Before, people would recognize me from my roles in 'Casino' or 'Killers' Shopping Mall,' but now they know me by my own name," Kim said.

The hosts then asked about the anaconda story Kim had shared on MBC's "Radio Star," which had caused a stir at the time.

Kim explained that while staying abroad, he had been swimming in the sea at night when he stepped on something slippery. "I jumped into the ocean when the moon was out and stepped on something," he said. "It was slippery, so I grabbed it — I thought it was a snake. I figured if I stayed still I'd get bitten, so I just started spinning it around."

Kim then offered a belated correction, drawing laughter from the studio. "It wasn't an anaconda — it was kelp," he said. "I want to clear up the misunderstanding."

He added that there are, in fact, no snakes in New Zealand. "If you look it up, there's kelp out there that's much taller than a person," he said.