Yoo Hae-jin took home the Film Grand Prize (Daesang) at the Baeksang Arts Awards for his performance in The King’s Warden, delivering one of the night’s most heartfelt acceptance speeches.
The ceremony was held on May 8 at COEX in Seoul and hosted once again by Shin Dong-yup, Bae Suzy, and Park Bo-gum.
As Yoo Hae-jin walked onto the stage with a bright smile, director Jang Hang-jun was seen cheering enthusiastically from the audience.
During his speech, Yoo Hae-jin candidly admitted that he had initially hoped to win Best Actor.
“I was honestly expecting Best Actor a little,” he joked. “So I was trying to prepare my heart when that didn’t happen. I thought maybe I still had a long way to go.”
He continued humorously: “Then suddenly the camera kept focusing on me. I thought maybe our film won Best Picture… but this is what the Daesang trophy looks like.”
The veteran actor reflected emotionally on his long career journey.
“When I left theater and entered film, my dream was simply to make a living acting in movies,” he shared. “Then I started receiving supporting actor awards, and I thought I’d be satisfied just continuing until my mid-40s. Even that time has already passed.”
Yoo Hae-jin added: “I truly thought winning supporting actor awards was enough for me. But receiving such a huge award like this makes me incredibly grateful.”
The actor also thanked the audience who made The King’s Warden a massive box office success with 17 million viewers.
“I want to thank the 17 million moviegoers who came to watch The King’s Warden,” he said. “Whenever we visited theaters for stage greetings, the cinemas felt alive again. I was relieved to see audiences returning to theaters.”
He then expressed gratitude toward the film’s cast and crew, especially director Jang Hang-jun and co-stars Yoo Ji-tae, Jeon Mi-do, and Park Ji-hoon.
Speaking directly about Park Ji-hoon, Yoo Hae-jin warmly said: “Acting is all about chemistry. The reason I could immerse myself so deeply was because Ji-hoon gave me such incredible energy and expressive eyes. I received so much from him, and I’m truly thankful.”
As Yoo Hae-jin delivered the emotional message, cameras captured Park Ji-hoon tearing up in the audience.
Toward the end of his speech, Yoo Hae-jin also honored legendary actors Ahn Sung-ki and Song Hae-sook.
Recalling advice from Ahn Sung-ki, he shared: “He once told me, ‘Actors must work hard while acting, but what’s even more important is how you live when there’s no work.’ I’ve carried those words with me ever since.”
The emotional speech, combined with the film’s overwhelming success, cemented The King’s Warden as one of the biggest winners of this year’s Baeksang Arts Awards.
Sources: 네이트 뉴스
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