Seoul: "Culinary Class Wars," Netflix's popular cooking show that matches elite chefs against underdogs to discover Korea's top culinary talent, secured the grand prize in the broadcasting category at the 61st Baeksang Awards. Released in September, the series dominated Netflix's non-English TV chart for several weeks and attracted millions of viewers globally.
According to Yonhap News Agency, another Netflix original Korean series, "When Life Gives You Tangerines," won the best series award. The series has been lauded for its narrative, which combines laughter and tears, portraying the enduring love and resilience of a couple over six decades on Jeju Island. The show also saw Choi Dae-hoon and Yeom Hye-ran winning the best supporting actor awards.
In the acting categories, Ju Ji-hoon and Kim Tae-ri were honored with best actor and best actress awards for their performances in "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call" and "Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born," respectively. In the film category, the grand prize was awarded to cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo for his work on "Harbin," a period drama that also won the best film award.
"Harbin," set in 1909, depicts the tale of Korean independence fighters, led by Ahn Jung-geun, as they plan to assassinate Ito Hirobumi, Japan's first prime minister, at Harbin Station in northern China. Korea was under Japanese rule from 1910 to 1945.
The crime-thriller "Revolver" received accolades for its director Oh Seung-uk and lead actress Jeon Do-yeon. Cho Jung-seok took home the best actor award for his role in the comedy "Pilot." Director Park Chan-wook and Shin Cheol were recognized with the best screenplay award for the Netflix film "Uprising."
In the category of most popular artists, Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon received awards for male and female artists, respectively. The Baeksang Awards, established in 1965, are one of South Korea's most prestigious entertainment award ceremonies, celebrating achievements in television, film, and theater for works released from April of the previous year to March of the current year.