[2021 Academy] 'Minari' Youn Yuh-jung First Korean Actor to Win Acting Award (Comprehensive)

Fourth Achievement for Asian Actor... Recognized for Acting Skills in Non-English Role
"There Can Be No Competition... I Just Got Lucky to Receive It"
Thanks to 'Hwa-nyeo' Director Kim Ki-young "He Would Have Been Very Happy If He Were Alive"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Actress Youn Yuh-jung (74) became the first Korean actor to win an acting award at the American Academy Awards.

On the 25th (local time), Youn Yuh-jung received the Best Supporting Actress award for the film "Minari" at the 93rd Academy Awards held at Union Station and the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA. This is the first time a Korean actor has held an Oscar trophy. She is the fourth Asian actor to win, following Miyoshi Umeki (Best Supporting Actress for "Sayonara" in 1957), Haing S. Ngor (Best Supporting Actor for "The Killing Fields" in 1984), and Ben Kingsley (Best Actor for "Gandhi" in 1982).

Youn Yuh-jung triumphed over strong contenders such as Maria Bakalova from "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm," Amanda Seyfried from "Mank," Olivia Colman from "The Father," and Glenn Close from "Hillbilly Elegy." She continued the momentum from her recent wins at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the British Academy Film Awards, gaining recognition for her seasoned acting skills. The only actresses older than her to win Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards were Peggy Ashcroft (77 years old at the time for "A Passage to India" in 1984) and Josephine Hull (74 years old at the time for "Harvey" in 1950).

Receiving the trophy from Brad Pitt, the producer of "Minari," Youn Yuh-jung joked, "Where were you when we were filming in Tulsa? Now we finally meet," bringing laughter to the venue. She then said, "I can't believe I am standing here at the Academy Awards that I used to watch on television," and expressed her sincere gratitude to the Academy members who voted for her.

Youn Yuh-jung thanked each of her co-stars in "Minari," including Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, and Noel Cho. She especially expressed her gratitude to director Lee Isaac Chung, saying, "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be standing here." She also mentioned fellow nominee Glenn Close, humbly stating, "There can be no competition in our society. I just happened to be a little luckier to receive the award."

Youn Yuh-jung also mentioned her two sons. Raising the trophy, she said, "This is the result of Mom working hard." She then referred to director Kim Ki-young, who directed her debut film "The Housemaid" (1971), saying, "If he were alive, he would be very happy."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

This award is even more meaningful because it was achieved through acting in the Korean language. Among all lead and supporting roles, only five actors have won Oscars for non-English performances: Sophia Loren for "Two Women" (1961) in Italian, Robert De Niro for "The Godfather Part II" (1974) in Italian, Roberto Benigni for "Life is Beautiful" (1998) in Italian, Benicio del Toro for "Traffic" (2000) in Spanish, and Marion Cotillard for "La Vie en Rose" (2008) in French.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.