These 12 Korean actresses managed to achieve a grand slam with Korea’s biggest awards.
Every Korean actor dreams of winning at Korea’s big 3 acting award ceremonies, including: Baeksang Arts Awards, Grand Bell Awards, and Blue Dragon Film Awards. Being named as Best Actress at one of these can be a lifelong dream for some people, but these 12 actresses manage to secure them all, proving their extensive talents and prestige.
Kim Ji Mi
Nicknamed as Korea’s Elizabeth Taylor, this seasoned actress earned her first Best Actress award at the 1969 Baeksang with the movie “Prince Daewon”. A year later, she was named Best Actress at the 1970 Blue Dragon Film Awards with “Your Name Is Woman”, before starring in “The Earth” and taking home Best Actress titles in the 1971 Baeksang and Grand Bell. Of course, these are far from her last accomplishments, seeing that the actress will continue winning for decades later.
Na Moon Hee
The “nation’s grandma” Na Moon Hee is the only actress in history to swoop Best Actress at all three big awards with a single project – the movie “I Can Speak”. Despite being a late bloomer with an initial failed career, Na Moon Hee managed to rise to the top in her old age, winning Best Actress at the 2017 Baeksang, Blue Dragon, and Grand Bell, all at the age of 76.
Jang Mi Hee
Actress Jang Mi Hee first earned the Best Actress title at the 1983 Grand Bell, thanks to her role as the female lead of “Flower On The Equator”. 9 years later, she scored this award again, this time also at Blue Dragon with the movie “Death Song”. Finally, she finished her grand prize race as the Best Actress of the 1990 Baeksang Arts Award with a role in the series “Nation of Fire”.
Won Mi Kyung
Born in 1960, Won Mi Kyung became the best actress of Baeksang in 1984 with the movie “Mulleya Mulleya”, before earning the same title at the 1990 Blue Dragon Film Awards with a role in “Only Because You Are A Woman”. The same role also named Mi Kyung as the Best Actress at the 1991 Grand Bell Awards, bringing home a grand slam for this talented celebrity.
Choi Myung Gil
Actress Choi Myung Gil first won Best Actress at Grand Bell in 1986 with“The Pillar of Mist”. Later on, she managed to secure the same title with “Rose Life” at the 1994 Blue Dragon and the 1995 Baeksang, making her another actress that managed to be throne at all three big awards.
Shim Hye Jin
Compared to the long journey of others on the list, actress Shim Hye Jin took less than a decade since debut to complete this huge achievement. She won Best Actress at the 1996 Baeksang with “Go Alone like A rhino’s Horn, the 1996 Blue Dragon with “The Adventure of Mrs. Park”, and the 1997 Grand Bell with “Green Fish”.
Kang Soo Yeon
Actress Kang Soo Yeon, who recently passed away after cardiac arrest, was among the most respected actresses in Korea, having won Best Actress for a total of 6 times at all the big awards, In particular, she was named Grand Bell’s Best Actress in 1987, 1989, and 1990 with “Now, We Are Going To Geneva”, “Come, Come, Come Upward”, and “All That Falls Has Wings”. Then, she won Best Actress at Baeksang twice, with “Road To The Race Track” and “Rainbow Trout”. Finally, she sealed the list as the Best Actress of Blue Dragon with “Road To The Race Track”, And if that weren’t impressive enough, Kang Soo Yeon also earned numerous other international awards, despite having quitted her acting career since 2013.
Kim Hye Soo
When it comes to the most talented actress in Korea, Kim Hye Soo is undoubtedly a noticeable name. While the actress lost at the recently held 2022 Baeksang Arts Awards, she already collected the grandest prizes at all big 3 award ceremonies. In particular, she won Best Actress at the 1993, 1995, and 2006 Blue Dragon with “First Love”, “Dr Bong”, and “Tazza: The High Rollers”, and nailed both the Baeksang and Grand Bell with “Hypnotized”.
Shim Eun Ha
Thanks to her hit movie “Christmas In August” in 1998, actress Shim Eun Ha managed to become the best actress at both Blue Dragon and Baeksang. A year later, she entered the list of big 3 winners, after securing the same title at the 1999 Grand Bell with “Art Museum By The Zoo”.
Jeon Do Yeon
As of the moment, no one has surpassed Jeon Do Yeon in the number of big 3 winnings. In particular, the actress has won Best Actress for a total of 8 times, with 2 at the 1997 and 2007 Blue Dragon with “The Harmonium In My Memory” and “Secret Sunshine”; 4 at the 1999, 2001, 2016, and 2020 Baeksang with “A Promise”, “I Wish I Had A Wife”, “The Shameless”, and Birthday”, and 2 at the 2000 and 2006 Grand Bell with “The Harmonium In My Memory” and “My Sunshine”. On top of all of this, Jeon Do Yeon was also named the Best Actress at the world-famous Cannes Film Festival thanks to her portrayal in “Secret Sunshine”.
Kim Ha Neul
Kim Ha Neul first became Baeksang’s Best Actress title in 2004 with a leading role in “Too Beautiful To Live”. 7 years later, she also won the same prize at both Blue Dragon and Grand Bell with “Blind”.
Son Ye Jin
Son Ye Jin was the only one born in the 80s to achieve Best Actress at all big 3 awards, making her the youngest actress in history to manage such accomplishments. She has actually won a total of 5 times, starting with “My Wife Got Married” in the 2008 Blue Dragon and the 2009 Baeksang, Then, she nailed the Best Actress title in the 2014 Grand Bell with “The Pirates”, before continuing to win the same award at the 2016 Grand Bell and the 2017 Baeksang with “The Last Princess”.
