'Next Sohee' won Best Picture, Ryu Jun-yeol and Kim Seo-hyung won Best Actor and 'Youngpyeong Award' honors.

The winners of the 43rd Youngpyeong Awards of the Korean Association of Film Critics (Chairman Yuk Jeong-hak), which is recognized for its tradition and authority, have been decided.

The honor of Best Picture went to ''Next Sohee' (directed by Jeong Ju-ri), and the Best Director Award went to director Ka Seong-moon of 'Dream Palace' (directed by Ka Seong-moon). The best screenplay went to director Kim Hyun-jung of ‘Flow’ (director Kim Hyun-jung).

Actor Ryu Jun-yeol won the Best Actor Award for his passionate performance in 'The Owl' (directed by Ahn Tae-jin), and actor Kim Jong-su won the Best Supporting Actor award for 'Smuggling' (directed by Ryu Seung-wan). The Best Actress Award went to actress Kim Seo-hyung of ‘Vinyl House’ (directed by Lee Sol-hee), and the Best Supporting Actress Award went to actress Lee Yoon-ji of ‘Dream Palace’.

Director Ahn Tae-jin won the Best New Director Award for 'Owl', Kim Si-eun of 'The Next Sohee' won the Best New Actress Award, and Jinyoung of 'A Christmas Carol' won the Best New Actor Award. 'Smuggling' won the technical award (art) and the music award (music director Jang Ki-ha). The Best Cinematography Award goes to ‘Owl’. The New Critic Award went to Yunjin Kim and Sangho Song.

Lee Woo-seok, chairman of Dong-A Export Corporation, receives the Meritorious Film Actor Award. Chairman Lee Woo-seok, born in 1935, is a living witness to the history of Korean film production, having imported films since the 1960s and produced Korean films since the 1970s.

Accordingly, the Korean Association of Film Critics recognized his contributions and selected Chairman Lee Woo-seok for this year's Meritorious Film Actor Award. In addition, member Jeong Jeong-heon will receive the Meritorious Critic Award. Member Jeong Jeong-heon, born in 1946, served as Vice President of Seoul Institute of the Arts, Editorial Writer of Chosun Ilbo, and Director of Culture Department, and revived the Blue Dragon Film Awards. In particular, he was active as an operator and judge of the Blue Dragon Film Awards and left a clear mark on his activities as a film critic, so he was selected as the winner of the Meritorious Critic Award in recognition of his achievements.

The domestic film category of the International Federation of Film Critics Korea (FIPRESCI KOREA) award went to director Lee Ji-eun of 'Secret Hill', and the foreign film category went to director Anthony Sim of 'Riceboy Sleeps'.

The Independent Film Support Award, which is decided through consultation between companies and theaters such as CJ CGV, Baekdudaegan (Art House Momo), At9, Indie Space, and Oh Theater, is given due to the lack of theaters and difficulties in releasing (or multiple releasing) independent films. In this continuously aggravated situation, this award has the meaning of special support and discovery. In the feature film category, director Kim Sae-in, who directed 'Two Women Wearing the Same Underwear,' and in the documentary film category, director Yang Young-hee, who directed 'Soup and Ideology,' won the award. done.

Yook Jeong-hak, president of the Korean Film Critics Association, said, “We paid attention to the works of new artists with a future and focused on discovering such works.”

The members of the Korean Association of Film Critics pay attention to the aesthetics of works separately from each category and decide on this year's ten outstanding works as the 'Yeongpyeong Top 10'. Every year, the ‘Yeongpyeong Top 10’ also serves as important data that serves as a reference standard when selecting the ‘Top 100 Korean Films’ of the Korea Film Archive.

The Korean Film Critics Association selected the winners (films) at the main screening meeting held on the 1st, and the awards ceremony, which marks the 43rd this year, will be held on the 21st at 2pm at the 20th floor, 124 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul. It will be held at the Press Center International Conference Hall.-Winners by category (work) -List of winners of the 43rd Youngpyeong Awards in 2023

Best Picture Award: <Next Sohee> (Twin Plus Parts Co., Ltd., Crank Up Film Co., Ltd.)

Meritorious Film Actor Award: Chairman Lee Woo-seok

Meritorious Critic Award: Member Jeong Jeong-heon

Best Director: Ka Seong-moon <Dream Palace>

Best Actress: Kim Seo-hyung <Vinyl House>

Best Actor: Ryu Jun-yeol <The Owl>

Best Supporting Actress: Lee Yun-ji <Dream Palace>

Best Supporting Actor: Kim Jong-su (Smuggling)

Best New Director: Taejin Ahn <Owl>

Best New Actress Award: Kim Si-eun (Next Sohee)

Best New Actor Award: Jinyoung <A Christmas Carol>

Technical Award: Lee Hu-kyung (Art) <Smuggling>

Best Adapted Screenplay: Kim Hyun-jung, “Flow”

FIPRESCI KOREA Award: Ji-eun Lee for <Secret Hill> in the domestic film category and Anthony Shim for <Riceboy Sleeps> in the international film category.

Best Cinematography: Taekyung Kim <Owl>

Music Award: Jang Kiha <Smuggler>

Independent Film Support Award: Feature Film Category_Director Kim Se-in of <Two Women Wearing the Same Underwear>/ Documentary Category_Director Yang Young-hee of <Soup and Ideology>

New Criticism Award: Best Kim Yun-jin, Best Song Sang-ho

‘Yeongpyeong Top 10’: Top 10 movies selected by the Korean Association of Film Critics (Yeongpyeong) (in alphabetical order)

<Two women wearing the same underwear>
<Next Sohee>
<Dream Palace>
<In the water>
<Smuggling>
<Vinyl House>
<Secret Hill>
<Owl>
<Killing Romance>
<Element of Hope>

Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr