There were no surprises. The 2024 KBS Acting Award went to actor Lee Soon-jae, as expected.
On the afternoon of the 11th, KBS 2TV aired a recorded broadcast of the ‘2024 KBS Acting Awards’ held on the 31st of last month at KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul. The event was hosted by MC Jang Sung-kyu, Girls' Generation's Seohyun, and Moon Sang-min.
Before the official awards ceremony began, Jang Sung-kyu solemnly stated, “Before we proceed, I would like to express my deep condolences to the victims and their families of the recent tragic accident that has caused heartbreak for all our citizens.” Seohyun and Moon Sang-min also bowed their heads in mourning alongside Jang Sung-kyu.
Meanwhile, the ‘2024 KBS Acting Awards’ was originally scheduled to be broadcast live on KBS2 at 7 PM on the 31st of last month, but was changed to a recorded broadcast in order to mourn the victims of the Jeju Air passenger plane accident that occurred on the 29th.
Not only the MCs but also the award-winning actors expressed their condolences through their speeches. Kim Yong-gun, who won the Best Supporting Actor award for ‘Dog Story’, said, “This event was supposed to be a celebration where we congratulate each other, but my heart is heavy. I extend my deepest condolences to the victims who lost their lives in the tragic accident and their families.” Yeon-woo, who appeared in the same drama, and Park Ji-hoon from ‘Fantasy Romance’ also expressed their condolences.
Shin Hyun-joon conveyed his heartfelt longing for the late Kim Soo-mi, who passed away last October. He said, “When we were filming ‘Iron Family’, my beloved mother, Kim Soo-mi, passed away.” Shin Hyun-joon continued, “It was very difficult, but many people comforted me. Being together was a great source of comfort. Although time has passed, many people still miss and love Mother Soo-mi.” He added, “I hope that in heaven, she is not lonely, and just as I always miss her smile, I hope she is always smiling.”
Ham Eun-jung, who won the Excellence Award for ‘Our Lucky Days’, expressed her affection for her late mother. She said, “About a month ago, my mother suddenly passed away. She was the one who monitored all the works I appeared in since I was a child actor. The only drama she didn’t comment on was ‘Our Lucky Days’, as she enjoyed watching it so much.” She added, “That’s why this drama is particularly meaningful to me, and this award feels significant. I will strive to be an actor who can bring joy and sorrow to the viewers. I will live wisely, humbly, and with gratitude.”
As expected, the Grand Prize went to Lee Soon-jae. He began by saying, “Having lived a long life, I never thought I would see a day like this.” Reflecting on his past experiences with KBS, he said, “I have had a continuous relationship with KBS, but I haven’t had many opportunities to appear. That’s natural. I was preparing for the day when the opportunity would come, and today I received this beautiful and precious award. The reason I mention this is that I have portrayed historical figures like Admiral Yi Sun-sin in the past. It can be awarded multiple times.” He emphasized, “In our case, it would all be merit awards. Even after turning 60, if you do well, you get an award. It’s not a merit award. Acting should be evaluated by acting. It shouldn’t be judged by popularity or other conditions. That’s the American Academy.”
“This award is not just for me,” Lee Soon-jae expressed his gratitude to those who worked on ‘Dog Story’, saying, “In ‘Dog Story’, there are many dogs, including Sophie. Those dogs also played a part. We did our best.” He reminisced, “It takes four and a half hours to get to Geoje. ‘Dog Story’ was a drama that I traveled back and forth more than 20 times to film.”
He also expressed gratitude to his students at Gachon University, where he is a professor. “I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to a student,” he said. “Thanks to the consideration of the president, I have been working as a professor for 13 years. I guide each student specifically. When we decide on a project, we practice for a semester and present it at the end, but when I said I didn’t have time, they told me, ‘Don’t worry. Since you’re doing a drama, do well. We will create it as you taught us.’ I was moved to tears. Trusting those students and doing my best led to today’s results. Thank you.”
I cannot forget to thank producer Lee Yong-soo. At the beginning, it was a close call. I’m sure there were many worries about what would happen. We reached a conclusion, overcame difficulties, and now ‘Dog Story’ is heard nationwide.
Lee Soon-jae expressed his gratitude to everyone he is thankful for, saying, “To the viewers who encouraged us, I have received a lot of help throughout my life. Thank you.” All the actors stood up and applauded, wiping their tears, adding to the emotional moment as the great and veteran actor Lee Soon-jae received the award.
▲ Grand Prize – Lee Soon-jae
▲ Best Actress – Park Ji-young (Iron Family), Lim Soo-hyang (Beauty and the Beast)
▲ Best Actor – Kim Jung-hyun (Iron Family), Ji Hyun-woo (Beauty and the Beast)
▲ Mini-Series Best Actress – Yeon-woo (Dog Story), Han Ji-hyun (Face Me)
▲ Mini-Series Best Actor – Park Ji-hoon (Fantasy Romance)
▲ Long-Form Drama Best Actress – Geum Sae-rok (Iron Family)
▲ Long-Form Drama Best Actor – Shin Hyun-joon (Iron Family)
▲ Daily Drama Best Actress – Ham Eun-jung (Our Lucky Days), Park Ha-na (Let’s Get Married, Maenggong)
▲ Daily Drama Best Actor – Baek Seong-hyun (Our Lucky Days), Oh Chang-seok (Without Blood or Tears)
▲ Popularity Award – Kim Myung-soo (Treat Me Roughly), Geum Sae-rok (Iron Family)
▲ Best Couple Award – Ji Hyun-woo, Lim Soo-hyang (Beauty and the Beast), Kim Jung-hyun, Geum Sae-rok (Iron Family), Baek Seong-hyun, Ham Eun-jung (Our Lucky Days), Park Ji-young, Shin Hyun-joon, Kim Hye-eun (Iron Family), Lee Soon-jae, Ari, Yeon-woo (Dog Story)
▲ Best Supporting Actress – Yoon Yoo-sun (Beauty and the Beast)
▲ Best Supporting Actor – Kim Yong-gun (Dog Story), Choi Tae-joon (Iron Family)
▲ Writer Award – Seo Suk-hyang (Iron Family)
▲ Drama Special Award (Female) – Oh Ye-joo (My Soles Are Hot)
▲ Drama Special Award (Male) – Nam Da-reum (The Officer Discusses)
▲ Best New Actress – Hong Ye-ji (Fantasy Romance), Han Soo-a (Beauty and the Beast)
▲ Best New Actor – Seo Beom-jun (Let’s Grab the Collar Once), Park Sang-nam (Let’s Get Married, Maenggong)
▲ Youth Acting Award (Female) – Lee Seol-ah (Beauty and the Beast)
▲ Youth Acting Award (Male) – Moon Seong-hyun (Beauty and the Beast)
[Geum Bit-na, MK Sports Reporter]
