K-couple Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin win lead acting prizes at Blue Dragon Film Awards

SEOUL - South Korean film-maker Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice (2025) claimed best picture at the 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards on Nov 19, leading the ceremony with seven wins - including best director and best actress honours - at South Korea’s premier film awards held at KBS Hall in Seoul.

The Venice-premiered satirical thriller, starring South Korean actors Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin, dominated major categories after entering with a field-leading 12 nominations. Park secured his fourth best director trophy -- making him the only film-maker to claim that honour four times at the Blue Dragon, with supporting actor winner Lee Sung-min delivering the acceptance speech on Park’s behalf.

“No Other Choice is the realisation of a dream I have carried for 20 years, since I first read the original novel,” Park, 62, said in his acceptance speech, read by Lee. “I tried to make a film that feels simple and comedic on first viewing, but grows more complex and tragic with each rewatch. I am grateful the jury recognised this.”

In a historic first for the awards, married actors Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin both won lead acting prizes. Son took best actress for No Other Choice while Hyun Bin claimed best actor for period drama Harbin (2024), marking the first time spouses have swept both categories at the ceremony.

“I won my first Blue Dragon best actress award when I was 27,” Son, 43, said in her acceptance speech, referring to her 2008 win for My Wife Got Married (2008). “After getting married and becoming a mother, I feel many different emotions and see the world through different eyes. I want to become a good adult and continue to develop as an actor.”

Hyun Bin, who portrayed the freedom fighter Ahn Jung-geun in director Woo Min-ho’s historical epic Harbin, dedicated his win to those who fought for Korea’s independence.

“The fact that I can live in this country and stand here today is thanks to the countless people who gave everything to protect our nation,” the 43-year-old said. “I want to express my gratitude to them first.”

The celebrity couple, whose only child turns three on Nov 27, also exchanged affectionate tributes during their speeches. Hyun Bin thanked “my wife Ye-jin, whose presence alone gives me so much strength, and our son”, while Son responded by saying she would “share this joy with the two men I love most, Kim Tae-pyeong (Hyun Bin’s birth name) and our son Woo-jin”.

No Other Choice also secured the best supporting actor prize for Lee Sung-min. Park Ji-hyun took home best supporting actress for thriller Hidden Face (2024), which became the first R-rated South Korean film to surpass 1 million admissions at the local box office since 2019.

Yeon Sang-ho’s low-budget whodunnit The Ugly (2025) failed to secure any wins despite entering with 10 nominations, the second-highest total behind No Other Choice. The experimental thriller premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK