"The two men who once worked part-time at a bidet factory 30 years ago" Yoo Hae-jin and Ryu Seung-ryong win top honors [Baeksang Arts Awards]

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[Financial News] According to actor Ryu Seung-ryong's recollection, "the two young men who worked part-time at a bidet factory 30 years ago" were honored together with the grand prize at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards.
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At the awards ceremony, which was broadcast live on JTBC on the afternoon of the 8th, Yoo Hae-jin from the film "The King's Warden" and Ryu Seung-ryong from the drama "The Dream Life of Mr. Kim" were named the grand prize winners.
Yoo Hae-jin drew applause from the audience with a speech that blended his trademark wit and sincerity. "I had actually been hoping for the Best Actor award, and when that didn't happen, I was trying to compose myself," he said. "But then the camera started moving toward me, so I thought maybe our work had won an award." His candid remarks drew laughter.
He then looked back on his career and said, "When I left the stage and started acting in films, I just hoped I could make a living. When I won the supporting actor award, I was already satisfied and had decided to live my acting life that way. So receiving the grand prize like this is deeply moving."
He also made sure to thank the audience, who helped drive the box office success. "Thanks to the roughly 17 million moviegoers who returned to theaters, I am glad to see theaters come back to life and regain their energy," he said. "Because audiences rediscovered the forgotten 'taste of the theater,' filmmakers were able to find their strength again."
He also expressed affection for his colleagues. In particular, he praised his co-star Park Ji-hoon, saying, "Acting is relative, and thanks to Park Ji-hoon's great chemistry and expressive eyes, I was able to fully immerse myself in the role."
Finally, he paid deep respect to the late actor Ahn Sung-ki. Recalling the filming of "Musa," he said, "I have always kept in my heart what senior Ahn Sung-ki once told me: 'For an actor, what matters is how you live when you do not have a project.'" He ended his remarks by dedicating the honor to his acting mentor Song Hye-sook and to Ahn Sung-ki.
He also took out a letter from inside his jacket and added, "A fan just handed this to me earlier and said it was a lucky charm, so I am very grateful to that person too."
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Ryu Seung-ryong, who portrayed the struggles and growth of a vulnerable man in his 50s with striking realism in the JTBC drama "The Dream Life of Mr. Kim," warmed the venue by recalling the hardships of his early days as an unknown actor.
He first mentioned Yoo Hae-jin, who had won the film category grand prize, and was overcome with emotion. "I remembered the days 30 years ago when we put up posters at La MaMa ETC in New York and worked part-time together for a month at a bidet factory in Jochiwon," he said. "I never imagined this, but the two of us ended up winning the grand prize side by side. I am truly overwhelmed."
He then reflected on the meaning behind the work and the name of the main character, Kim Nak-su. "What saves a person is not something grand, but a warm word like 'You worked hard,' 'I'm sorry,' or 'I love you,'" he said. He stressed that just as the wife's comfort in the drama helped Mr. Kim stand back up, our society also needs empathy and forgiveness for one another.
With his trademark humor, he thanked his colleagues, then expressed love for his parents, who supported him through prayer, as well as for his wife and son, whom he called his "heart and engine." He also told himself, "Seung-ryong, you did well."
He concluded by saying, "I am grateful to the viewers who did not turn away from the journey of failure and responded with warmth." He added, "I hope all the 'Nak-sus' in this world will find happiness."
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At the ceremony, the Best Actor and Best Actress awards in the film category went to Park Jeong-min for "The Ugly" and Moon Ga-young for "Once We Were Us," while the television category awards went to Hyun Bin for "Made in Korea" and Park Bo-young for "Our Unwritten Seoul."
Park Bo-young, who played two roles in "Our Unwritten Seoul," drew strong empathy when she admitted that she had once envied other people's lives, just like her character.
She began by saying, "There were times when I thought other people's lives looked better and more appealing than mine." She continued, "I think I was so focused on other people's talents that I failed to see the effort hidden behind them. I hated competition, and there were many moments when it felt too heavy and exhausting to keep proving my worth and usefulness."
Addressing her fellow actors, she said, "The days I spent working hard with a stubborn desire not to fall behind and to do better, perhaps even not wanting to lose, made me who I am today." She added, "I want to express my deep respect to my colleagues, who have been both worthy rivals and pace-setters for me."
She said she chose the project because she wanted to be part of it, but admitted that she worried and regretted it every day. What lifted her up, she said, was the script. "I am grateful to writer Lee Kang for writing such an excellent script that I could not pass up," she said. She also credited director Park Shin-woo and the production team, who guided her whenever she lost her way between the two characters, "Mi-ji" and "Mi-rae."
She thanked the actors, staff members, and the two stand-ins who worked hard with her throughout the dual-role shoot. After also expressing gratitude to her parents, she closed with a line from the drama: "Yesterday is over, tomorrow is far away, and we do not yet know today, so I want to say let's live this day well."
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jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-a Reporter