Park Ji-hoon Wins Double at Baeksang With Record 1.09M Fan Votes

Park Ji-hoon walked into Seoul's COEX D Hall on May 8, 2026 as one of the night's most-watched names — and left with two trophies in hand. The breakout star of the box office phenomenon The Man Who Lived with a King swept the Film Best New Actor award and the Naver Popular Award at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards, a milestone evening that also introduced the ceremony's first-ever musical theater category after 61 years of history.

The ceremony, held under the theme "The Stage," was hosted by the Baeksang's familiar trio of Shin Dong-yup, Suzy, and Park Bo-gum — sharing the stage together for the eighth consecutive year — and broadcast live on JTBC, JTBC2, and JTBC4, with a digital simulcast via Naver and Chijichik.

Park Ji-hoon's Two-Trophy Night

When Park Ji-hoon was called to accept the Film Best New Actor award, the 25-year-old's acceptance speech became an instant highlight of the evening. Known to fans as "단종 오빠" (Danjong Oppa) after his haunting portrayal of the tragic teenage king, Park arrived at the podium with visible emotion and delivered a speech that struck the room.

"I was quite chubby before filming," he said, breaking into a genuine smile, "but director Jang Hang-joon believed in me until the very end. And senior Yoo Hae-jin — I love you." The candid, unscripted quality of his delivery made it one of those rare award acceptance moments that people immediately started sharing online.

Park's performance in The Man Who Lived with a King helped propel the historical film to over 16 million domestic tickets sold — a figure that put it among the biggest Korean box office hits in years. His portrayal of King Danjong, a young monarch who reigned briefly before being deposed and tragically executed, resonated deeply with audiences of all ages. The film itself received seven nominations at this year's Baeksang, putting it in direct competition with Park Chan-wook's acclaimed It's Impossible to Help It across multiple categories.

The popular award, decided entirely by fan voting, confirmed just how deeply Park had connected with the public. His total of 1.09 million ballots dwarfed every other male candidate, and his speech this time was brief but heartfelt: "These votes are yours, not mine. I'll keep growing and keep working. Only the best version of me, from now on."

All Four Newcomer Awards Go to Fresh Faces

Park Ji-hoon was far from the only new name the evening celebrated. Lee Chaemin, who played the male lead opposite Yoona in the breakout tvN drama Tyrant's Chef, took the Broadcast Best New Actor award. The drama — which recorded a peak viewership rating of 17.1%, making it one of 2025's most-watched shows — propelled the previously little-known actor into the spotlight virtually overnight.

"Director Jang Tae-yoo trusted me when I had nothing," Lee told the audience. "And Senior Yoona led me through every single scene. Whatever I did up there, I did because of her." The moment prompted applause from a crowd that had watched Yoona and Lee Chaemin's on-screen chemistry captivate millions of viewers throughout the drama's run.

Byeon Hyo-rim won the Broadcast Best New Actress award for the Netflix original Aema, calling the project "a true gift." Seo Su-bin, meanwhile, claimed the Film Best New Actress award for her debut in Master of the World, with a speech she described as coming from someone learning to be "brave and bold, one step at a time."

Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin's Red Carpet Reunion

The night's most talked-about moment before a single award was handed out happened on the red carpet, when Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin arrived together. The couple, who married in March 2022, rarely make joint public appearances at major industry events, which made their coordinated arrival an immediate sensation. Photos spread across social media within minutes, with fans widely sharing images of the two celebrities standing side by side — a pairing Korean fans have affectionately nicknamed "the couple that matches face-for-face."

Both carry professional stakes in the evening as well. Son Ye-jin is nominated for Film Best Actress for her performance in Park Chan-wook's It's Impossible to Help It — a film that found significant success beyond Korea, surpassing $10 million at the North American box office. Hyun Bin is competing for Broadcast Best Actor for Disney+'s Made in Korea.

A First for Musical Theater — and a Night of Craft

One of the evening's most significant structural changes was barely visible to the casual viewer but deeply meaningful to thousands of Korean stage professionals. For the first time in the Baeksang's 61-year history, a dedicated musical theater category was presented, celebrating Korea's rich and growing musical stage culture during the genre's 60th anniversary year.

The ceremony's arts awards recognized work that often goes unspoken in headline coverage. Composer Lee Min-hwi, receiving the Film Arts Award for Pavane, admitted he had "come completely unprepared — I had no idea I was going to win." Broadcast Arts Award recipient Kang Seung-won, the music director behind the acclaimed show The Seasons, used his moment to dedicate the prize to "every musician in a recording booth or practice room right now, filling the empty spaces in someone's heart."

Byun Yo-han, who served as an award presenter for the evening, revealed in a brief aside that he recently completed filming on Tazza: Song of Belzebub and is currently preparing for its release — the first the audience had heard of an update on one of the year's most anticipated films.

Beyond individual performances and trophies, the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards also reflects a broader shift in how Korean entertainment is consumed. More nominees this year came from OTT platforms — including Netflix, Disney+, and Tving — than from traditional broadcast in several categories, marking a notable transition point in the ceremony's long history. For an industry that was built on terrestrial television ratings, the growing dominance of streaming nominees at Korea's most prestigious stage represents an inflection point that audiences and industry watchers alike are watching closely.

With the night's biggest prizes — including Best Drama, Best Film, and Grand Prize — still to be announced as the ceremony continued, one thing was already clear: the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards had announced the arrival of a new generation, with Park Ji-hoon's double-trophy night as its clearest, most emotional symbol.