Ryu Seung-ryong of “Manager Kim” and Yoo Hae-jin of “The Man Living with the King” have both claimed the Grand Prize at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards!
The ceremony took place on the 8th at COEX D Hall in Gangnam, Seoul. Ryu Seung-ryong, starring in JTBC’s “Story of Manager Kim Who Works for a Large Company in His Own Home in Seoul,” and Yoo Hae-jin, from the movie “The Man Living with the King” (distributed by Showbox), took home the top honors for the TV and Movie categories, respectively. These two seasoned actors, who have walked the path of acting for 30 years since their unknown days, became the stars of the night.
Ryu Seung-ryong touched hearts with his portrayal of middle-aged father Kim Nak-su, a man pushed to the brink of life, in “Manager Kim.” Mentioning Yoo Hae-jin, he shared, “I remember when we used to put up posters and work part-time at a factory in Jochiwon 30 years ago. It’s truly overwhelming that we both unexpectedly won the Grand Prize.” He also admitted to tearing up while watching the “Nanta” celebratory performance.
Ryu expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you for loving a story about failure. This work tells the story of a father in his 50s who falls from a position he worked hard to achieve. It was a subject that could have been seen as gloomy or ignored, but JTBC and SLL boldly opened a space for empathy and comfort.” He added, “Like the name Nak-su, I thought falling water was the end, but it becomes a stream, then a river, and eventually returns to the sea. What made him live again was the simple phrase, ‘You worked hard, Manager Kim.’ Saving someone isn’t a grand gesture. I believe a sincere word, a small bit of empathy, and courage can be a great gift to one another.”
He concluded his speech with a heartfelt message: “I want to say those words to myself. Seung-ryong, you worked hard. To all the ‘Nak-sus’ across the country, please be happy.”
Yoo Hae-jin, who held the center of the hit movie “The Man Living with the King” (which surpassed 16.8 million viewers) as Eom Hong-do, started his speech with a joke: “I was expecting the Best Actor award, but since I didn’t get it, I was trying to compose myself. Then the camera came to me, and I thought, ‘Are they giving me the Best Picture award?’ Turns out, this is what the Grand Prize looks like!”
He first thanked the audience of “The Man Living with the King,” saying, “When I went for stage greetings, the theaters felt vibrant and healthy. I’m glad people have rediscovered the joy of the cinema. I’m happy that this is leading to more interest in various films.”
Yoo credited his co-star Park Ji-hoon, saying, “I received this because Park Ji-hoon gave me such great energy and chemistry. Thank you so much.” He also honored the late Ahn Sung-ki, recalling, “I lived my life remembering his words that while an actor must work hard when acting, it’s more important how they live when they don’t have a project. I want to dedicate this honor to him.”
Meanwhile, the Best Actor and Actress awards for TV went to Hyun Bin for Disney+’s “Made in Korea” and Park Bo-young for tvN’s “Unknown Seoul.” In the movie category, Park Jung-min for “Face” and Moon Ga-young for “If We” took home the trophies.
Park Chan-wook’s “I Can’t Help It” won Best Film, while Netflix’s “Eunjung and Sangyeon” won Best Drama. MBC’s “Rookie Director Kim Yeon-koung” took the Best Variety award, and Kian84 and Lee Su-ji won the Best Entertainer awards for men and women, respectively.
The Baeksang Arts Awards, which began in 1965, celebrated its 62nd anniversary this year. Following the TV, Movie, and Theater categories, a Musical category was newly established. The ceremony was hosted by Shin Dong-yup, Park Bo-gum, and Suzy.
Here is the full list of winners for the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards:
<TV Category>
▲ Grand Prize = Ryu Seung-ryong
▲ Best Drama = Eunjung and Sangyeon (Netflix)
▲ Best Non-fiction = Documentary Insight = Our Time is Shining (KBS1)
▲ Best Variety = Rookie Director Kim Yeon-koung (MBC)
▲ Best Director = Park Shin-woo (Unknown Seoul)
▲ Best Screenplay = Song Hye-jin (Eunjung and Sangyeon)
▲ Best Actor = Hyun Bin (Made in Korea)
▲ Best Actress = Park Bo-young (Unknown Seoul)
▲ Best Supporting Actor = Yoo Seung-mok (Story of Manager Kim Who Works for a Large Company in His Own Home in Seoul)
▲ Best Supporting Actress = Im Soo-jung (Pine: The Rustic Ones)
▲ Best New Actor = Lee Chae-min (The Tyrant’s Chef)
▲ Best New Actress = Bang Hyo-rin (Aema)
▲ Arts Award = Kang Seung-won (The Seasons/Music)
▲ 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 (Master of the World)
▲ Gucci Impact Award = The Man Living with the King
▲ Best New Director = Park Jun-ho (3670)
▲ Best Actor = Park Jung-min (Face)
▲ Best Actress = Moon Ga-young (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 (Master of the World)
▲ Best Screenplay = Byun Sung-hyun, Lee Jin-sung (Good News)
▲ Arts Award = Lee Min-hwi (Pavane/Music)
<Theater Category>
▲ Baeksang Theater Award = Jellyfish
▲ Young Theater Award = Theater Company Chariots of Fire (Place)
▲ Best Actor = Kim Shin-rok (Prima Facie)
<Musical Category>
▲ Best Work = Mongyu-dowon
▲ Creative Award = Seo Byung-gu (Evita/Choreography)
▲ Best Actor = Kim Jun-su (Beetlejuice)
