The 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards, which faced some heat during the nomination phase for “passing over” stars like Yoo Jae-suk and Kim Yoo-jung, ended on a high note with winners that brought comfort and resonance to everyone.
The ceremony was held on May 8th at COEX in Gangnam, Seoul. As Korea’s only comprehensive arts award show covering TV, film, theater, and musicals, all eyes were on the results across all categories.
TV Category
The Grand Prize for the TV category went to Ryu Seung-ryong! He captured viewers’ hearts with his realistic portrayal of 50-something father Kim Nak-su in the JTBC drama ‘The Story of Kim Bu-jang Who Works at a Large Company in Seoul’. By embodying the pathos of a truly realistic character, Ryu Seung-ryong painted a portrait of the era with his signature human touch, proving once again that he is irreplaceable.
With this win, Ryu Seung-ryong has made history as the first person to sweep both the Movie and TV Grand Prizes, following his win at the 49th Baeksang. During his speech, he left a lasting impression with a witty remark: “Seung-ryong, you worked hard. And to all the Nak-sus across the country, be happy!”
The Best Drama award went to the Netflix series ‘Eunjung and Sangyeon’, while the Best Variety Show award was taken by MBC’s ‘Rookie Director Kim Yeon-kyung’. Thanks to its popularity, a second season of ‘Rookie Director Kim Yeon-kyung’ has already been confirmed! The Best Educational Program award went to ‘Docu Insight: Our Time is Shining’.
Yoo Seung-mok from ‘The Story of Kim Bu-jang Who Works at a Large Company in Seoul’ and Im Soo-jung from the Disney+ series ‘Pine: The Rustic’ won Best Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively. Their powerful presence and ability to deliver the dramas’ messages deeply moved the audience.
Lee Chae-min from ‘The Tyrant’s Chef’ and Bang Hyo-rin from ‘Aema’ took home the once-in-a-lifetime Best New Actor and Actress awards. Lee Chae-min perfectly balanced the line between historical drama and rom-com, while Bang Hyo-rin signaled the birth of a new star with her bold and intense energy.
The keyword for the Variety awards was ‘sincerity’. Kian84, who has built a unique position with his ‘unfiltered’ concept, won for the third time following his wins in 2023 and 2024. Lee Su-ji also lifted the trophy for the second consecutive year, with her sharp satire through various characters like ‘Daechi-moms’ and kindergarten teachers leading to her win.
Movie Category
The most anticipated award of the night, the Movie Grand Prize, went to Yoo Hae-jin for ‘The Man Living with the King’. With a cumulative 16.8 million viewers, his role as the title character and his track record of starring in five movies that surpassed 10 million viewers cemented his status as a national actor, leading him to the Baeksang Grand Prize.
While he has long been renowned as a powerhouse actor, Yoo Hae-jin and Eom Heung-do in ‘The Man Living with the King’ impressed everyone with a sincerity that goes beyond mere ‘acting’. After being a nominee for a long time since his Best Supporting Actor win at the 51st awards, Yoo Hae-jin moved audiences again by winning the Grand Prize after 11 years. He credited the fans, saying, “I want to thank the audience who came to see ‘The Man Living with the King’. The theater had a healthy glow.”
The Best Film award went to Director Park Chan-wook’s ‘I Can’t Help It’, a black comedy that captured global attention by depicting the realistic global issue of mass unemployment caused by AI. Lee Sung-min, who delivered a masterclass performance in this film, won Best Supporting Actor, showcasing his limitless spectrum after previously winning Best Actor awards in both film and TV.
‘The Master of the World’, which received immense attention domestically and internationally as last year’s top independent film, also took home two awards. Director Yoon Ga-eun won Best Director, convincing everyone with her ability to draw viewers in through a character’s gaze alone. Seo Su-bin, the lead of the film, won the once-in-a-lifetime Best New Actress award for her realistic character portrayal.
This year’s Baeksang results also highlighted ‘growth’. Park Jung-min from ‘Face’ and Moon Ga-young from ‘What If We’ won Best Actor and Actress, proving that a new generation has now become the center of Chungmuro.
The Best Supporting Actress award went to Shin Se-kyung for ‘Humint’, where she was praised for her convincing portrayal of a North Korean employee and for being the final puzzle piece that completed the genre.
Meanwhile, the Naver Popularity Awards, decided 100% by fan votes from April 24 to May 5, saw fierce competition among 41 male and 38 female nominees. The fans’ choice for the top spots were Park Ji-hoon from ‘The Man Living with the King’ (1,095,330 votes) and Im Yoon-ah from the tvN drama ‘The Tyrant’s Chef’ (406,877 votes).
Here is the full list of winners:
[TV Category]
– Grand Prize: Ryu Seung-ryong (JTBC ‘The Story of Kim Bu-jang Who Works at a Large Company in Seoul’)
– Best Drama: Netflix ‘Eunjung and Sangyeon’
– Best Variety Show: MBC ‘Rookie Director Kim Yeon-kyung’
– Best Educational Program: KBS 1TV ‘Docu Insight: Our Time is Shining’
– Best Director: Park Shin-woo (tvN ‘Unknown Seoul’)
– Best Screenplay: Song Hye-jin (Netflix ‘Eunjung and Sangyeon’)
– Best Art Direction: Kang Seung-won (KBS 2TV ‘The Seasons’/Music)
– Best Actor: Hyun Bin (Disney+ ‘Made in Korea’)
– Best Actress: Park Bo-young (tvN ‘Unknown Seoul’)
– Best Supporting Actor: Yoo Seung-mok (JTBC ‘The Story of Kim Bu-jang Who Works at a Large Company in Seoul’)
– Best Supporting Actress: Im Soo-jung (Disney+ ‘Pine: The Rustic’)
– Best New Actor: Lee Chae-min (tvN ‘The Tyrant’s Chef’)
– Best New Actress: Bang Hyo-rin (Netflix ‘Aema’)
– Best Entertainer (Male): Kian84
– Best Entertainer (Female): Lee Su-ji
[Movie Category]
– Grand Prize: Yoo Hae-jin (‘The Man Living with the King’)
– Best Film: ‘I Can’t Help It’
– Best Director: Yoon Ga-eun (‘The Master of the World’)
– Best New Director: Park Jun-ho (‘3670’)
– Best Screenplay: Byun Sung-hyun, Lee Jin-sung (‘Good News’)
– Best Art Direction: Lee Min-hwi (‘Pavane’/Music)
– Best Actor: Park Jung-min (‘Face’)
– Best Actress: Moon Ga-young (‘What If We’)
– Best Supporting Actor: Lee Sung-min (‘I Can’t Help It’)
– Best Supporting Actress: Shin Se-kyung (‘Humint’)
– Best New Actor: Park Ji-hoon (‘The Man Living with the King’)
– Best New Actress: Seo Su-bin (‘The Master of the World’)
– GUCCI IMPACT AWARD: ‘The Man Living with the King’
[Theater Category]
– Baeksang Theater Award: ‘Jellyfish’
– Young Theater Award: Fire Chariot Theater Company
– Best Performance: Kim Shin-rok (‘Prima Facie’)
[Musical Category]
– Best Musical: ‘Mongyu Dowon’
– Best Original Work: Seo Byung-gu (‘Evita’/Choreography)
– Best Performance: Kim Jun-su (‘Beetlejuice’)
[Special Category]
– Naver Popularity Award (Male): Park Ji-hoon
– Naver Popularity Award (Female): Im Yoon-ah
