Baeksang Arts Awards 2024: The touching and funny moments

Movies

Published: 08 May. 2024, 14:10 Updated: 08 May. 2024, 14:30

Baeksang Arts Awards 2024: The touching and funny moments

Veteran actor Lee Soon-jae during a special stage at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards, which took place at Coex in southern Seoul on Wednesday [SCREEN CAPTURE]

“You have to quit being an actor if you cannot recite your lines” — the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards were not only an awards ceremony, but also a tribute to veteran actor Lee Soon-jae, whose career predates the show.

The special stage at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards, which took place at Coex in southern Seoul on Wednesday, saw the 89-year-old actor ponder the question of “What is art?” in a mock audition before artists and audience.

“Reciting the script? That’s the bare minimum for an actor,” Lee said, after introducing himself as a performer who'd debuted in the play “Over the Horizon” in 1956 and since appeared in 175 television dramas, 150 films and 100 or so plays.

When asked why he keeps on challenging himself as an actor, Lee replied that acting is what keeps an actor alive.

“Hundreds of actors who’ve said ‘This should be enough’ have disappeared already. Only the ones who’ve tried hard remain here. That’s what I mean when I say there’s no way of ‘completing’ your acting; it is the fate of an actor who has to keep on trying hard and challenge oneself to make a more complete work.”

Singer and actor Uhm Jung-hwa at The 60th Baeksang Arts Awards during veteran actor Lee Soon-jae's special stage. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Lee also credited the actors at the ceremony, saying that he'd like to act with Choi Min-sik and Lee Byung-hun.

“We need to do an action film, but I can’t be fist fighting at my age, so maybe we should film a Korean version of ‘Godfather,’” Lee said.

Actor Yoo Yeon-seok at The 60th Baeksang Arts Awards during veteran actor Lee Soon-jae's special stage. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Lee received a standing ovation from his fellow actors, with Choi, Lee Byung-hun and other artists seen hiding tears on camera as they paid respects to the veteran actor.

“It reminded me of my own rookie days when I applied to auditions and memorized one-liners,” said Park Bo-gum, who co-hosted the show.

“The show goes on live, so we have to move on, but I just wanted to enjoy the afterglow of the speech,” said fellow co-host Shin Dong-yup.

Actor Lee Do-hyun during his acceptance speech at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards, which took place at Coex in southern Seoul on Wednesday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Actor Lee Do-hyun’s romantic acceptance speech was another notable moment of the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards.

Lee was seen crediting his girlfriend, actor Lim Ji-yeon, with whom he'd worked on popular Netflix show “The Glory” (2022-23).

“There is no such thing as easy acting, and I prepared hard for the role. I would want to do even better the next time,” said the actor, who starred in “Exhuma” as side act Yoon Bong-gil. Lee took home the New Male Actor Award in the Film category.

Producer Nah Yung-suk's acceptance of Best Male Entertainer in the Television category brought another moment of levity to the evening. Though Nah is renowned for such hit variety shows as “Nana Tour with Seventeen” (2023) and “Earth Arcade 2” (2023), the award still came as a surprise to the producer.

Producer Nah Yung-suk received the Best Male Entertainer Award in the Television category at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards, which took place at Coex in southern Seoul on Wednesday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

“It was weird enough for me to get nominated for a category where I have no business receiving the award. I just attended the awards for the fun of it,” Nah said. “But now that [Baeksang] actually awarded me, I don’t have a speech that I’ve prepared.”

“I would only guess that the award was given to me because I was slacking off with my productions and instead spent time making new content with our subscribers on YouTube,” he said.

Nah has been producing YouTube series including “Nattering with Nah,” “Chattering with Nah” and “Sizzling with Nah” where he discusses his work with his colleagues and interviews actors, comedians and more.

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]