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Yoon Yeo-jung makes history, wins first Oscar for Minari

In what may become a new tradition for Korean artists, Yoon Yeo-jung won Best Supporting Actress this year at the Oscars. Like Bong Joon-ho, she made history as she is the first Korean to win an acting award at the Oscars and only the second Asian woman to win Best Supporting Actress in the history of the awards.

Yoon won praise for her role in Minari and her portrayal of a grandmother who follows her daughter to live in the U.S. The film has been widely-acclaimed for its moving and realistic portrayal of a Korean family who puts down roots in the U.S.
 
She accepted her award with her typical humor and verve. After saying hello to Brad Pitt and asking where he was during Minari’s filming (he’s a producer on the film), she thanked director Lee Isaac Chung and cast of Minari. Yoon also thanked her two sons and gave a shoutout to the Kim Ki-young, who was the director of her debut film, 1971’s Woman of Fire.

In Korea, Yoon Yeo-jung has long been seen as a fierce and independent woman and has never hesitated to take on unconventional characters. I’m glad that more people are getting to know her now, because everyone should know her name. And in contrast to the lack of acting recognition for Parasite’s cast at the Oscars last year, it’s nice to see a Korean actor getting accolades for her craft and artistry.

Following the awards ceremony, Yoon Yeo-jung took questions first in English; then continued on to a presser at the Korean Consulate in Los Angeles. During the English portion, a reporter thought it would be the best use of her time to ask Yoon Yeo-jung what Brad Pitt smells like. I’ve seen American celebrities asked what other celebrities smell like before, but it’s usually done during the pre-awards red carpet chatter. It felt a little disrespectful to ask such a frivolous question, no matter how good-natured the intent might have been or how funny Yoon’s repartee was: “I didn’t smell him, I’m not a dog.”

In contrast, the Korean questions focused on Yoon’s career and we got to see more of her sharp wit and intellect. During the Korean press conference, Yoon shared that due to COVID-19 restrictions, she was limited to one guest for the ceremony. Because she has two sons, she couldn’t choose between them to be her date, and at the suggestion of one of the Minari producers, she decided to invite Han Ye-ri to accompany her. It was a nice touch as they played a mother and daughter in the film.


Yoon Yeo-jung, Han Ye-ri

The first reporter asked Yoon about her philosophy for acting and how she’s honed such a fine wit. “My acting philosophy is borne out of an inferiority complex. I didn’t major in theater at university and I only began acting while I was working part-time. I knew my weaknesses and I worked hard to memorize scripts in order not to be a nuisance; that was my acting philosophy. I knew I had to be desperate. I liked the work, but I also had to make a living. The script was my Bible. I worked hard. There’s that famous saying, ‘How do you get to Broadway? Practice.’ Practice cannot be overlooked. As for my wit, I’ve been alive for a long time. I’m also a big talker when I’m with my friends and I think my wit has been developed by that.”

When asked about her thoughts on her win and if she considers this to be one of the best moments of her life, she had this to say: “There’s no such thing as a ‘best’ moment. I don’t like ‘best’ anything. I don’t like competitions. Can’t we all just be great at being average together? The Academy isn’t everything…Can’t we all be equals? Would that make me a socialist?”

One of the reporters asked for her thoughts on why the film had been so well-received, and Yoon said that he should be asking a film critic because actors focus more on their work and roles. But she did have this to say, “The script was well-written. As I was doing interviews, I realized that parental sacrifice, a grandmother’s sacrifice, these are universal stories. It’s something that moves people. Parents sacrifice and a grandmother’s love is unconditional. [Lee Isaac Chung] wrote a script that was full of sincerity.”

Yoon Yeo-jung was also asked about what her plans are now for her post-Oscar future. She was unfazed about her status as a newly-minted Oscar winner, “I have no future plans right now. I’ll live as I’ve always lived. I won’t become a different person just because I’ve won an Oscar.”


Left-right: Kim Yoon-kyung, Nam Jung-im, Na Mun-hee, Yoon Yeo-jung, Kim Hye-ja, on the set of 1976 daily drama Girls’ High School Graduates


Choi Moo-ryong, Yoon Yeo-jung winning Best Actor and Best Actress respectively at the 1971 Blue Dragon Awards


Yoon Yeo-jung, Brad Pitt


Han Ye-ri, Yoon Yeo-jung

Via Hankyoreh, Yonhap, Joongang Ilbo

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Congratulations to Yoon Yeo-jung and all others who won the Oscar awards. Though the award doesn’t mean everything, it shows that their work has been recognized and has paid off. She is also very witty, sincere and fierce with her answers which showed her strong character. This is especially good when it comes to answering some ‘strange’ question.

I think I’ve only seen her in Dear My Friends and was impressed with her character then. She was very charismatic and that shone through her character.

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Congratulations to Youn Yuh-jung on all her Best Supporting Actress awards for Minari (and she won a lot). Her acceptance speeches are so witty "I'm luckier than you." She is an amazing actress, and Youn's Kitchen is one of my all-time favorite reality shows.

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Youn's Kitchen was one of the most successful Korean reality TV shows because I knew it had a lot of mixed emotions alongside with the Knetz and it was prettiest amazing show ever.

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I knew that it's been 50 years after her debut, Yoon Yeo-jung won her Oscar. I hope she will be one-time winner only like 1957's Sayonara actress Miyoshi Umeki did (Miyoshi died in 2007), even after her retirement from acting.

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Happy dancing for this win. When Madame Yoon says she worked from inferiority she spoke for many. The script was her Bible that she memorized so as not to be a bother. Mr Tracy said, "Know your lines and don't bump into the props". Sincere congratulations to all winners from one who has loved films from childhood.

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I had a note on Choi Moo-ryong: on his wiki page, his acting career spanned between 1954 and 1987. But he died in November 1999. So long, Choi! He was one of the most successful Korean actors during the 20th century since its formation of Korean cinema.

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Wow... Brad Pitt, he was one of my all-time fave actors (also including Tom Cruise, sadly he never won an Oscar yet) and even an Oscar winner.

On my note to Minari, this was only one of six Oscar nominations won for this sad film. How historic Minari film was. I'm also proud of Steven Yeun which I am look handsome to him.

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“Can’t we all be great at being average together?” 👍🏼 ❤️

Congrats to Ms Yoon!!!
The only other historic acting win for a Korean actress was Jeon Do-yeon in 2007 at Cannes.

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I think Kim Min-hee was the second Korean actress who got a big international award, i.e. Best Actress in Berlin in 2017 for Hong Sang-soo's On The Beach At Night Alone.

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The first Korean actress or talent to ever receive an international award was Kang Soo-yeon in 1987, by director Im Kwon-taek at the Venice Film Festival. And he later won Best Director in 2002 at the Cannes Film Festival. After that, it was Jeon Do Yeon in 2007 (Cannes), and then Kim Min-he (Altho to much lesser fanfare :/ ) in 2017 (Berlin), and now Youn Yuh Jung (Oscars) in 2021. Female power, yes?!

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I didn't start watching K-dramas and films until early 2000 so I haven't heard of Kang Soo-yeon but yes, I'm loving the international girl power.

I do keep up with Cannes but not the other 2 major festivals.
The only slot open on my list is for best actor.

Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) - Best film.
"Parasite" (2019) - Bong Joon Ho.

Grand Prix – Grand Prize of the Festival
"Oldboy" - Park Chan Wook (2004)

Prix du Jury – Jury Prize
"Thirst" - Park Chan Wook (2009)

Palme d'Or du court métrage – Best Short Film
"Safe" - Moon Byoung-gon (2013)

Prix d'interprétation féminine – Best Actress
Jeon Do-yeon (2007) - "Secret Sunshine."

Prix d'interprétation masculine – Best Actor

Prix de la mise en scène – Best Director
Im Kwon-taek (2002) - "Painted Fire."

Prix du scénario – Best Screenplay
Lee Chang-dong (2010) - "Poetry."

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It IS kinda cool that it's the actresses getting the bigger international prizes! Although the male stars seem to get a lot more attention, I think they have only won awards at smaller festivals like Deauville and Locarno.

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Actually, what is Kang Soo-yeon doing these days? I've just googled her and realised I've seen her in a film called Girls' Night Out (also starring Kim Yeo-jin, who I think is in Vincenzo at the moment). She was born in 1966, which means she was only 21 when she won Best Actress in Venice, and is only 55 now!

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Yes I only follow Cannes so I forgot about Kim Min-hee's Berlin award.

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This warmed by heart. Everyone on this planet should know her name, everyone.

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ms. yoon is so totally cool in that she invited Han Ye Ri to be her "date" to the oscars - as she wanted Ye Ri to be seen for her part in the movie as well. she is passing forward her "good luck"....
*winks in admiration*

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Han Ye Ri so deserved a best actress nomination. For me the movie was really about the women. 😍

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That's a great photo of Yoon Yeo-jung with Na Moon-hee and Kim Hye-ja!

Just last week I was watching the film In Another Country. It's full of LOL moments (including Yoo Joon-sang as a singing lifeguard), but the best involved an exasperated Yoon Yeo-jung rescuing Isabelle Huppert from sleazy Korean men ("Oooh these Korean men!... You have to be careful with those kind of men!"), and making the queen of French arthouse cinema wipe the floor of their rented room ("But it's clean!"/"Clean more. There.").

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I can’t get over how they’ve aged so well especially Kim Hye Ja.

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A class act all the way, and how lovely to see her with Han Ye-ri on the red carpet together (both looking effervescent). Minari touched me deeply, and I'm so pleased to see the love and appreciation it's getting. Sometimes the simplest stories are the most profound. Excellent script, cast and direction. Congratulations, Yoon 선생님!

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Congratulations to Yoon Yeo-jung!

I remember the first time I saw her, it was in the drama Can You Hear My Heart. I recall being impressed by her in that show. While I haven't had the opportunity to watch her earlier works, it's clear she has always shined in her projects. May we continue to have the good fortune of watching what else she has in store for us for many years to come!

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Congratulations to Youn Yuh-jung. Minari was a beautiful movie and she was great in it. Her acceptance speech was hilarious. She's so blunt lol.

“Can’t we all be great at being average together?” I love her!

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I read a news article where it said Youn's date to the Oscars was the producer who gave her the Minari script. Han Ye-Ri was at the Oscars because she was in the film too. I think they just posed for photos together on the red carpet. Separately, I heard Han was getting flack from K-Netz because people think her red dress looks too much like the Chinese qipao (which seems incredibly stupid to me). That would explain why she didn't post any photos of her wearing that dress on her Instagram...

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Regarding HYR's dress, I thought she looked beautiful in it. It showed off her figure and toned arms. What a shame, Louis Vuitton posted her look on their Insta. I for one thought it was a bold choice considering Korean stars dress so boring/bridal all the time. Sighs, what a silly thing to fuss about!!

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Yes, I thought she looked great in it! But it seems to me that is the only reason why she wouldn't post that photo. Attending the Oscars? That's probably the biggest red carpet event in the world. What celebrity wouldn't post a photo of that occasion? Yes, Korean stars dress in mostly white and black on the red carpet. Surprisingly, Chinese actresses dress more colorfully. I wonder why.

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Its such a shame. I read her Vogue article about her choice, and also leading up to it. And she seemed thrilled/excited about going/dress choice. So imagine her disappointment seeing K-netz vs International peeps who were loving her dress. She got several Best Dressed Lists too. For her SAG look, she wore Miu Miu, and she looked super cool/fresh.

Only thing is, why didn't Louis Vuitton (since they lended her the dress/posted on Insta) make her a custom piece or at least a current season look?! Even Youn Yuh Jung's dress was offered b/c her son works in fashion.

What, I don't understand esp. now w/ Korea becoming more globalized/popular globally, how many/most of its stars either wear bridal off the rack wear, or seasons past designer clothing?! It's very strange to me, esp. since top stars have done editorials/invited by top luxury houses as well?! Do they not lend them to Korean stars?

Yeah, their Asian counterparts the Chineses and Indians dress way more glamorous/colorful and mostly always in custom made or couture. And before anyone says its just fashion, well if you get a brand deal/sponsored by them, that helps gives actresses more freedom/security to choose which roles they want/don't/etc.

There are some expectations, Youn Yuh Jung, Bae Doona (Louis Vuitton ambassador), Kim Hye Soo, Gong Hyo Jin, are the few expectations there. Maybe that's why luxury houses seldom offer to K-stars, b/c the actresses dress stale so they don't see an offer to lend them? Dunno, just gotta rme at the whole absurdity of it. Sorry for the rant lol, but its something that's been bugging me (esp. if you look at their counterparts).

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Well, seeing the backlash Han is getting for wearing a red dress, I can understand why other actresses would want to play it safe.

I assume that Korean stars would be lent dresses by top fashion houses, just like stars in neighboring countries. The Hallyu wave is so strong.

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I was surprised her Louis Vuitton dress was three years old. Maybe she just fell in love with it or maybe she wasn't offered a current season look since she wasn't directly nominated? The big stars and nominated actresses get tons of dresses offered to them but say cinematographers don't.

I'm always baffled by actresses and their off the rack bridal wear but maybe nobody wants to step out of the box and risk getting criticized.

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The backlash is more heightened b/c of Korea/China tensions rn :/ Sighs. I hope this doesn't make her not want to step outside the box again. I really liked her funky SAG awards look.

Yeah, I think some (only top/big names do) by big big fashion houses. But even then, most play it safe w/ black/white column sleeve dresses. Snooze... But the others, I think get them off the rack. Unless you've a brand ambassador/relationship w/ the house like Bae Doona does w/ Louis Vuitton.

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Sigh. I had read about Han Ye-ri getting flack because K-netz thought her dress was "Chinese-influenced." I thought she looked gorgeous and loved the red on her. Sometimes a dress is just a dress.

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I actually loved both of their outfits and thought they both looked so beautiful and classy and hopefully the rest of the actresses can take some lessons on how to dress so as to not look like a streetwalker. Wish people would stop wasting so much time trying to subscribe fake meaning to people's choices and leave them alone.

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Oh, for crying out loud, KNetz need to get over themselves. I hope Han Ye Ri grows older being just as outspoken and completely “herself” as Youn Yeo Jung 🤦🏼‍♀️

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i love this woman! she is a class act without being stuck up.

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in america the award makes the actor, in Korea the actor makes the award.

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It depends on the actors. The actors I follow/fans of tend to be low key/all about the work/not fame. I think diff. culture too, sometimes Korean actors have to be humble as its ingrained in their culture. Altho we've seen some divas lately, so perhaps all is not what it appears lol? But yes, YYJ is such a class act/free minded. It's amazing she's more forward thinking/open minded than people half her age or less?! Humble Queen!!

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Very well deserved! Love Minari and love her most natural portrayal as the grandma. ‘Natural’ is the word about her acting that brings whatever character she plays to life.

While having seen her in many grandma roles all these years, I still remember seeing her for the first time in Hotelier as the reluctant career woman to take over her dead husband’s hotel business.

And that old photo with the other actresses makes us realise that Dear My Friends is a reunion of sort.

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She's a legend period. Very happy for her much deserved win. A nice cap off to a 50 yr + career. Also, hope this opens the door for more Asian and Asian American talents to be recognized more for their works going forward. She's also starring in Pachinko, and that could get her an Emmy nomination and/or win!! Choi Woo Shik is another actor whose making his Hollywood debut soon, in a promising film also by an Asian American director.

Love seeing both Asian/Asian Am talents in front/behind helming as it lends more authenticity!! Also, it was so heartwarming seeing so many of her peers/former cast-mates congratulate her on her win!! So nice to see so much support/warm wishes to her!!

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Congrats to Yoon Yeo-jung and the other winners.

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Thank you stroopwafel for this level of detail about Youn Yeo Jung and her win. I’m so happy for her and this makes me want to rewatch Worlds Within, I wonder if that’s even possible now (do I have the dvds?)? She was probably mostly playing herself in that drama 😆

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How spry! How charming! In both Minari and at the Oscars! Congratulations!

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