K-drama fans discuss Park Eun-bin's emotional win at the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards

Park Eun-bin wins top prize at Baeksang Arts Awards Image Credit: Instagram/Park Eun-bin

Woo to the Young to the Woo – excited K-drama fans chanted on social media as South Korean actress Park Eun-bin stood on the stage of the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards on April 28. She had just won the coveted Daesang award for her outstanding performance in the K-drama series, Extraordinary Attorney Woo.

The Baeksang Arts Awards is one of the most prestigious award shows for Korean on-screen entertainment. It recognises excellence in Korean films, television, and theatre. And, Daesang is one of the highest achievements a group or artist can achieve.

K-drama fans, who were watching the award ceremony as it was streamed live internationally on TikTok, took to social media to say that Eun-bin’s win was a well-deserved one.

Her performance in Extraordinary Attorney Woo, which was released in 2022, captured the hearts of not just South Korean viewers but also a huge international audience.

In the drama, Eun-bin played the role of a young lawyer with Asperger's syndrome, a form of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

After tearfully accepting the award for the Best Drama Daesang, during an emotional speech, the actress shared a heartwarming story from her childhood.

She said that winning the Daesang was a childhood dream.

“When I was a child, I thought that I shouldn’t give up my dream as an actress, someday I may receive the Daesang one day, and today I achieved my dream,” said Eun-bin.

Many South Korean entertainment news websites and fans on Twitter shared the English translation of Eun-bin’s speech, which had the audience and live viewers in tears.

"We're all crying at this point; we all know how much Eunbin deserves this award..." tweeted @kdramasdiary.

The 30-year-old actress said: “Thank you so much, I feel like I am receiving this prize on behalf of the entire 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' team.

I believe that it was the unwavering support of those who have come to love the character of 'Woo Young Woo' that led to my receiving this award. I express my sincere gratitude to all those who have watched and supported the show. The overwhelming love and attention that 'Woo Young Woo' has received has surpassed all expectations. In truth, I would not be standing here today without everyone's love."

According to a report on allkpop.com, she confessed: "It took a considerable amount of time for me to muster the courage to portray 'Woo Young Woo' on screen. As an actor, I was deeply concerned about the impact that my portrayal of the character could have on the audience. I was afraid that my interpretation of 'Woo Young Woo' might offend or hurt someone. Throughout the process, I made a conscious effort to examine my own biases and prejudices towards individuals with autism and lawyers. Overcoming the challenges and setbacks I faced while working on this project was a truly enriching experience. It was a great relief to complete the work and to have learned so much about myself and the world around me along the way."

Other than Park Eun-bin, singer-actor Jinyoung, actor Lee Sung Min, actress Song Hye-kyo, the movie The Night Owl, and the K-drama series The Glory, took home some of the most prestigious honours, during the star-studded event.

Another memorable moment of the night came from the talented actress Song Hye Kyo, who won the Best Actress award for her outstanding performance in the drama series, The Glory.

She made the audience laugh as she opened her speech in the character of Moon Dong Eun from The Glory and said: "I received an award, Yeon Jin. I am very excited right now. I wanted to say that one last time. I really wanted this award. Thank you for giving it to me."

She also expressed her gratitude to the entire production team and cast members of the drama.

Fans shared clips of her acceptance speech, which was also an emotional one.

The 59th Baeksang Arts Awards ceremony was held in Incheon and was hosted by Shin Dong-yup, a South Korean comedian and television comedy show host, singer-actress Bae Suzy, and actor Park Bo-gum.

The nominations for these awards are decided after a screening process by 60 professional evaluators from the industry and a group of experts representing TV, film, and theater.

All works released between April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023, were eligible to be nominated at the 59th award ceremony.

Here’s the full list of winners for the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards: