Historical film The King’s Warden wins big at 2026 Baeksang Arts Awards

SEOUL – Historical film The King’s Warden emerged as the biggest winner at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards on May 8, with its lead actors winning the Grand Prize and Best New Actor in the film category.

Held at Coex convention centre in Seoul, the awards honoured South Korean pop culture content aired between April 2025 and March 2026, spanning TV series, variety shows, films and live performance, including plays and musicals.

Directed by screenwriter-director Jang Hang-jun, The King’s Warden follows the tragic tale of deposed king Danjong (played by Park Ji-hoon) during his exile to Cheongnyeongpo in Yeongwol, Gangwon province. There, he forms a bond with the local villagers led by the empathetic village chief Eom Heung-do (Yoo Hae-jin).  

Yoo, 56, won Grand Prize in the film category, while Park, 26, won Best New Actor.

The film, which also picked up the Gucci Impact Award, made history in South Korea as the first in years to surpass 10 million admissions, marking a major box-office milestone.

The Best Film award went to South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook’s black comedy No Other Choice, with the film’s Lee Sung-min winning Best Supporting Actor.

In his acceptance speech, Park, 62, said that in moments of anger or sadness, it was important to keep attempting humour, including self-deprecating jokes, as a way to release emotional pressure and find an outlet.

There was a notable upset in the Best Director race, with director Yoon Ga-eun taking the honour for the indie film The World Of Love, prevailing over a competitive field that included Park and Jang of The King’s Warden.

The independent film centres on a high school girl named Joo-in, a survivor of sexual violence. She confronts the prevailing notion that a victim’s life is irreparably destroyed, and instead seeks to reclaim agency over her life and learns to love herself on her own terms.

In her acceptance speech, Yoon reflected on the inherently collaborative nature of film-making, emphasising that cinema is never the work of a single director alone.

“I learnt so much throughout making this film – from books about cinema and online articles to posts and even comments,” the 44-year-old said.

In television, the Grand Prize was awarded to actor Ryu Seung-ryong of The Dream Life Of Mr Kim. The drama chronicles a middle-aged man’s sudden layoff and his attempt to rebuild his life, and it resonated widely with viewers.

Yoo Seung-mok, who played an executive who rose the ranks through office politics, was named Best Supporting Actor.

Hyun Bin took home Best Actor for his role as a high-ranking agent who leads a secret double life in period political series Made In Korea.

On stage, he thanked his wife, actress Son Ye-jin, who was present in the audience as she was nominated for Best Actress for her role in No Other Choice, and their son. He expressed gratitude for their support throughout filming. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK