Director Park Chan-wook, stage actor Kwak Ji-sook, actor Ahn Hyo-seop, singer Insooni and producer Hwang Ki-sung will be honored at this year’s Beautiful Artist Awards.
The judging committee for the 15th Beautiful Artist Awards, hosted by the Shin Young-kyun Arts & Culture Foundation, announced on Oct. 14 that Park will receive the Film Artist Award, Kwak the Theater Artist Award, Hwang the Achievement Award, Insooni the Good People Artist Award for philanthropy, and Ahn the New Artist Award.
Park, this year’s Film Artist Award recipient, has been a driving force in taking Korean cinema global since his 1992 directorial debut "The Moon... Is the Sun’s Dream," delivering modern classics like "Joint Security Area," "Oldboy," "Lady Vengeance" and "Decision to Leave." His 2025 feature "No Other Choice" earned festival acclaim and drew more than 2.6 million moviegoers in Korea.
Kwak Ji-sook, honored with the Theater Artist Award, began performing with the 2021 production "OiL" and has since won over audiences with standout turns in "Oasis," "Birds’ Grave," "Hamlet’s Tragedy," "One Day," "I Opened the Door" and "Four Minutes Twelve Seconds." Her portrayal of Barabas in "The Jew of Malta" drew raves across the performing-arts community over the past year.
Achievement Award recipient Hwang Ki-sung entered the industry as head of planning at Shin Film, a powerhouse of the 1960s Korean movie boom. He helped launch the careers of countless filmmakers while planning over 100 titles, including "Yeong-ja’s Heydays," "Mandala" and "Whale Hunting," and ushered in the producer-driven era with Whale Hunting. Under his banner “Hwang Ki-sung Films,” he went on to produce 24 films, among them "Mother," "The Age of Success," "Dr. Bong," "Ghost Mama" and "The Concubine." He also founded the Seoul Film Commission, creating spaces for filmmakers and energizing the local film industry.
Insooni, receiving the Good People Artist Award, debuted in 1978 with the girl group Hee Sisters and has been a vocal powerhouse across genres for nearly five decades, shaping Korea’s pop and live performance scene. In 2012 she launched the nonprofit Insooni and Good People and, a year later, opened Haemil School to support education for multicultural youth―initiatives she continues to operate and fund.
New Artist Award honoree Ahn Hyo-seop, who first rose to fame on television, recently made his film debut leading "Omniscient Reader" as Kim Dok-ja, earning strong word of mouth from audiences. He also voices JINU of the fictional idol group Saja Boys in Netflix’s global animated feature "KPop Demon Hunters," spotlighting him as a fresh face representing Korean content on the world stage.
Established in 2011 by the Shin Young-kyun Arts & Culture Foundation, the Beautiful Artist Awards annually recognize outstanding artists across film, theater, achievement, philanthropy, and independent or emerging talent, granting a total of 100 million won in prizes (20 million won per category) along with trophies.
This year’s ceremony will be held Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. KST at Stage 28 in Godeok-dong, Seoul’s Gangdong-gu, and will stream live via NowJeju TV, the Shin Young-kyun Arts & Culture Foundation YouTube channel and culture outlet Interview365.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)