Presenter Youn Yuhjung, Rookie Park Yurim & Korean Actors for Best International Feature Film

Korean actors drew attention at the 94th Academy Awards. Youn Yuhjung, the first Korean actor to win an Oscar, received a big round of applause for her consideration as a veteran actor. Also, Korean actors who appeared in Drive My Car, directed by Hamaguchi Ryusuke, who won the Best International Feature Film, attended the awards ceremony and received attention from film officials around the world.

Youn Yuhjung, who won the Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards in 2021 for her role as the grandmother ‘Soonja’ in the film Minari, took the stage as the presenter for the Best Supporting Actor this year. She went on stage with a ‘blue ribbon’ on her chest that contained a message of support for Ukrainian refugees. Youn presented the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor to Troy Kotsur for his role in the film Coda, signing Kotsur’s name in the American Sign Language before saying it out loud. She also showed deep consideration for Kotsur by holding the trophy for him while he was giving his acceptance speech in sign language. This scene was considered one of the most touching moments at the Academy Awards this year. 

Also, Korean actors drew attention, who appeared in Drive My Car directed by Hamaguchi Ryusuke, who won the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards. Drive My Car is a Japanese film nominated in four categories at the Academy Awards this year, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Performance, and Best International Feature Film. Actors from various Asian countries appeared in the film, but Korean new faces such as Park Yurim, Jin Daeyeon, and Ahn Hwitae received special attention. The three actors attended the film festival as the cast members of Drive My Car and enjoyed the joy of winning the award together. Director Hamaguchi Ryusuke expressed his gratitude by calling out the names of the three Korean actors in his acceptance speech. 

Among them, rookie actor Park Yurim particularly drew attention. Drive My Car is Park Yurim's debut film, and she has not appeared in a Korean film yet. In Drive My Car, Park Yurim played Lee Yuna, an impressive character who is a deaf actor playing Sonia in Anton Chekhov's play Uncle Banya in sign language. Foreign media mentioned Park Yurim's impressive sign language acting as a ‘promising actor whose acting career is fully expected.’ Although Korean films were not nominated for the 94th Academy Awards, the presence of Korean actors was huge.