‘Eojjeolsuga-eopsda’ Dominates 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards with 6 Wins; Son Ye-jin & Hyun Bin Make History with First-Ever Couple's Award
The film ‘Eojjeolsuga-eopsda’ (It Cannot Be Helped) emerged as the biggest winner at the 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards, clinching a remarkable six trophies, including the prestigious Best Picture award.
The ceremony, held on November 19th at the KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, saw Park Chan-wook’s acclaimed film sweep the awards. Following praise from international film festivals prior to its release, ‘Eojjeolsuga-eopsda’ secured awards for Technical Effects (Jo Sang-gyeong) and Music (Jo Young-wook), followed by Best Supporting Actor (Lee Sung-min), Best Actress (Son Ye-jin), Best Director (Park Chan-wook), and ultimately, the Grand Prize for Best Picture.
A historic moment unfolded as married couple Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin took home the awards for Best Actress and Best Actor, respectively. This marks the first time a married couple has won acting awards at the Blue Dragon Film Awards simultaneously. Both also received the Chungjungone Popular Star Award, making them double winners.
Son Ye-jin, returning to the big screen after a seven-year hiatus, expressed, “As a married woman and a mother, my perspective on the world has changed.” She added, “I will continue to grow and be a wonderful actress by your side.” Hyun Bin reflected, “Being here today is thanks to the many individuals who dedicated and sacrificed themselves to protect our country.” He also conveyed his love, saying, “I love and thank my wife Son Ye-jin and our son, who are my strength just by being there.”
Park Chan-wook, unable to attend due to overseas commitments, had his Best Director award accepted by Best Supporting Actor winner Lee Sung-min. Lee Sung-min shared, “This is the realization of a dream I've held for 20 years since first reading the novel,” attributing the success to his co-stars and crew.
The Rookie of the Year awards were presented to Kim Do-yeon for ‘Amoeba Girls and the School Ghost: School Opening Day’ and Ahn Bo-hyun for ‘The Devil Has Arrived.’
Notably, director Yeon Sang-ho's ‘Eolgul’ (Face), despite being nominated in ten categories, left empty-handed, as did ‘Pagwa,’ which had garnered international festival attention. Despite a significant return on investment with 10 billion KRW in profit from a 200 million KRW budget, ‘Eulgul’ did not secure any awards.
Korean netizens lauded ‘Eojjeolsuga-eopsda’s massive win at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. The historic joint win by Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin drew immense praise, with comments like 'A truly dream-like moment' and 'A couple straight out of a movie' flooding in. Park Chan-wook's absence and Lee Sung-min's witty acceptance speech also became talking points.