'Concrete Utopia' wins Best Picture at Daejong Film Awards

Director Um Tae-hwa's disaster film "Concrete Utopia," starring Lee Byung-hun, swept six awards, including best picture, at this year's Daejong International Film Awards, which took place at the Gyeonggi Arts Center in Suwon, Gyeonggi on Wednesday.

Actors, directors and film staff attend the 59th Daejong International Film Awards held at the Gyeonggi Arts Center in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Wednesday. [DAEJONG INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARDS]

Director Um Tae-hwa's disaster film "Concrete Utopia," starring Lee Byung-hun, swept six awards, including Best Picture, at this year's Daejong International Film Awards, which took place at the Gyeonggi Arts Center in Suwon, Gyeonggi on Wednesday evening.

However, despite the event being one of Korea’s three biggest film awards, nearly half of the movie stars, directors and crew members invited to the awards did not show up.

The awards ceremony, which is in its 59th edition, is one of the three biggest film awards in Korea along with the Baeksang Arts Awards and the Blue Dragon Film Awards, and is the oldest of the three. However, the event has been marred by an increasingly battered reputation for being "unorganized" and actors boycotting the event in recent years.

Several seats are empty at the main hall of the Gyeonggi Arts Center in Suwon, Gyeonggi, where the 59th Daejong International Film Awards was held Wednesday evening. [DAEJONG INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARDS]

Along with the Best Picture award, "Concrete Utopia" picked up the Best Actor award for Lee, who did not attend the event, Best Supporting Actress for Kim Sun-young, who showed up, Best Art Directing, Best Sound Effects and Best Visual Effects.

"Concrete Utopia" surrounds a group of residents at an apartment complex who find themselves the owners of the only building in Seoul that has survived a devastating earthquake and must fend off outsiders seeking refuge.

This year's Best Actor award for Lee marks the veteran actor's sixth trophy at the Daejong Awards. Lee previously won the Best Newcomer Actor award in 1996 for "Runaway" and was awarded the Best Actor awards and popularity awards multiple times. The actor himself was not in attendance at the awards ceremony.

Actor Yum Jung-ah attends the 59th Daejong International Film Awards held at the Gyeonggi Arts Center in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

"The Night Owl" received the most awards after "Concrete Utopia" with three trophies, including Best Screenplay, Best New Director and Best Editing. "The Night Owl" is a historical drama about a near-blind acupuncturist who gets involved in palace secrets. Director An Tae-jin, who co-wrote the screenplay, and screenwriter Hyun Gyu-ri, were not present at the ceremony.

The Best Actress award went to Kim Seo-hyung for "Greenhouse," an independent production about a woman living in a greenhouse who finds herself facing an impossible dilemma while looking after an old woman with Alzheimer's.

Actor Byeon Woo-seok attends the 59th Daejong International Film Awards held at the Gyeonggi Arts Center in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

"'Greenhouse' deals with many social issues that we face today, and I cried so much reading the script," Kim said in her acceptance speech during the awards ceremony. "I hope that more independent films have the chance to be shown to wider audiences in the future."

The Best Director award was given to Ryoo Seung-wan for "Smugglers," but Ryoo also was not there.

Actor Kim Seo-hyung attends the 59th Daejong International Film Awards held at the Gyeonggi Arts Center in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

Oh Jung-se, who did not attend, was awarded the Best Supporting Actor award for his performance in "Cobweb." The Best Newcomer Actress award went to Kim Si-eun for her role in "Next Sohee," and she also wasn't present to receive the trophy in person.

The Best Newcomer Actor award went to Kim Seon-ho for "The Childe," who made a comeback after a controversy that arose in 2021, which led to a brief hiatus from acting.

Actor Ahn Jae-hong attends the 59th Daejong International Film Awards held at the Gyeonggi Arts Center in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

"I want to thank everyone who helped me in getting here to make a film," he said in his acceptance speech. "A film takes so many people's hard work to make, and I am very grateful to have had the chance to be a part of this work."

Starting this year, the event decided to recognize television drama series as well. Disney+ original series "Moving" snatched two awards — Best Series Award and Best Series Actress Award for Han Hyo-joo. Another Disney+ original series, "Big Bet" grabbed two trophies, with Choi Min-sik winning Best Series Actor and director Kang Yoon-sung winning Best Series Director.

Actor Han Hyo-joo gives an acceptance speech after receiving the Best Series Actress Award at the 59th Daejong International Film Awards held at the Gyeonggi Arts Center in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Wednesday. [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]