Kim Go-eun Wins Grand Prize at Blue Dragon Series Awards, Park Hae-soo and Shin Hye-sun Crowned Best Actor & Actress

The authoritative Korean film industry Blue Dragon Awards hosted the 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards last night in Incheon. Girls' Generation member YoonA and actor Jun Hyun-moo served as hosts for the fifth consecutive year. Kim Go-eun took home the night’s highest honor, the Grand Prize, for her performance alongside actress Park Ji-hyun in the drama “Everything That You and I Have Left Behind”. She expressed that she has benefited greatly from many good seniors she has worked with and hopes to become a good senior to others in the future. She also said she never takes being able to act for granted and hopes to be cast in more works. As for the “Best Drama Program Award”, it went to “New Recruit Chef” starring Park Ji-hoon.

There was a previous controversy over alleged vote rigging, as heartthrob Hyun Bin had more than 140,000 abnormal votes deducted during the Best Actor voting. Even so, he still topped the list with over 930,000 votes. Since fan votes accounted for one-seventh of the overall result, he stated on the red carpet that he looked forward to winning. Unfortunately, he missed out, with the award going to actor Park Hae-soo!

Park Hae-soo, known for the hit series “Squid Game”, took the Best Actor trophy for his compelling performance in the much-discussed drama “Scarecrow”, beating out Hyun Bin, Kim Seon-ho, Kim Woo-bin, and Park Ji-hoon to become the king of TV. He said he felt honored to receive the award in front of actors and comedians he admires. He also mentioned that his second son will be born this month, and thanked his wife, saying that even though she should be nervous, she always manages to comfort him first.

As for “Best Actress,” Shin Hye-sun triumphed in the voting, beating out Go Youn-jung, Kim Go-eun, Park Bo-young, and Park Ji-hyun with her strong performance in “Sarah’s Authentic Life”. She said her role in the drama could not have been accomplished by her alone and expressed deep gratitude to the director and cinematography crew. She promised to continue to work hard as an actress, jokingly adding that she was too nervous to say much in her speech.

Furthermore, actors Byeon Woo-seok, actress Go Youn-jung, “national MC” Yoo Jae-suk, and comedian Lee Soo-ji all won the fan-voted “Popularity Star Award.” Byeon Woo-seok stated that he knows this award was created by effort, time, and love, and he hopes to become an actor worthy of it. Go Youn-jung also thanked the fans. Yoo Jae-suk humorously said, “I can’t believe I’ve won a popularity award—I haven’t even properly shared my feelings about it yet. I look forward to maybe winning an even bigger award later.” Meanwhile, Go Youn-jung also received the “Global Icon Award,” which was a delightful surprise presented by Japanese heartthrob Kento Fukushi, her co-star in “How Do You Translate Love?”.

IU Makes First Appearance After Breakup, Looks Thinner — Fans Worry: Have You Been Eating?

IU attended the awards as last year’s Best Actress, presenting together with Joo Ji-hoon at the Blue Dragon Series Awards. Dressed in a pink gown and wearing a sweet smile, she appeared like a Disney princess. Returning to the awards stage, she admitted that while she thought she wouldn’t be nervous, her heart still raced as she recalled last year’s awards moment. She said she felt honored to be able to share such precious memories and strength with everyone.

However, in unretouched photos taken by Korean media at the scene, sharp-eyed fans noticed that IU’s cheeks appeared noticeably sunken, her face looked thinner, and she seemed slightly haggard, likely influenced by her recent breakup and health status. After the photos surfaced, heated discussion broke out online, with many worried fans leaving caring comments such as “You’ve gotten so skinny, have you been eating well?” and “Where did your cheek fat go?” expressing deep concern for her well-being.