Shim Eun-kyung ‘grateful’ for Best Actress win at Japan film awards

The Best Actress award winner at Friday’s 43rd Japan Academy Film Prize Awards Shim Eun-kyung told local press Monday that she is still in awe.

“I still cannot believe it,” Shin was quoted as saying by her agency Management A.N.D. “I am grateful for the award and all I can think of now is to do my best in my future roles.”

She thanked the film’s crew, stating that “cooperation beyond borders have helped bring the best side of the movie.”

Shim was awarded for her lead role in the Japanese movie “The Journalist” (2019). The film is loosely based on Tokyo Shimbun reporter Isoko Mochizuki’s novel “Shinbun Kisha” (translated to “The Journalist”) and her reporting on a 2017 political scandal involving Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife, Akie Abe, regarding the building of Moritomo Gakuen, a private educational institute.

Shim spoke Japanese in the film, after taking language classes for about a year.

It was the first time that a Korean actor has been given the honor at the Japanese film event, which launched in 1978.

When Shim’s name was called at the ceremony on Friday, Shim was caught on camera wide-eyed. Once on stage to deliver her remarks, she said through tears, “I am sorry, I had not expected to win and did not prepare a statement.”

The film was met with mixed reviews in Japan, given its controversial nature.

The film will be showing at CGV theaters beginning on Wedneday.

Shim debuted in 2003 through the popular drama series, “Dae Jang Geum” and rose to fame through roles in “Sunny” (2011) and “Miss Granny” (2014).

By Esther Chung, Yonhap