'Kkanbu Grandfather' Oh Young-soo Wins Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor (Summary)

"Now 'The World Within Us,' Not 'Us in the World'"
'Squid Game' Lead Actor Award (Lee Jung-jae) and Best Picture Award Missed

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Oh Young-soo (78), who played Oh Il-nam in the Netflix drama "Squid Game," became the first Korean actor to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor. On the 10th (Korean time), Oh was announced as the winner of the Best Supporting Actor in a TV category at the 79th Golden Globe Awards held in the United States. He beat out strong contenders including Kiera Culkin from "Succession," Billy Crudup and Mark Duplass from "The Morning Show," and Brett Goldstein from "Ted Lasso." Unable to attend the ceremony, Oh said through Netflix, "When I heard the news of winning, it was the first time I told myself, 'You're a good guy.'" He added, "Now it is not 'the world in us' but 'us in the world.' Carrying the scent of our culture and deep love for family, I thank everyone around the world. I hope you live a beautiful life."

In "Squid Game," Oh portrayed Oh Young-soo, the designer of the game who holds money and power. He is a universal human being embodying both good and evil. With a hunched posture, he swings his arms and smiles innocently, but at critical moments, he opens his eyes wide and surprises others. Showing the wit of someone who has realized life, he was affectionately called the "Kkanbu Grandfather" and received great love. Oh did not act out of greed or self-consciousness. Following the character's setting, he thought about "how a brain tumor patient with slight dementia would behave" and entered the role with a relaxed mind. His natural acting came with time and experience. Though not widely known, he is a "living legend" in the theater world. He debuted as an actor in 1968 with the theater troupe Gwangjang. He worked with troupes Seongjwa, Yeoin, and Jayu, and from 1987 to 2010, he was active at the National Theater Company. He appeared in over 200 plays including "Faust," "A Streetcar Named Desire," "The Merchant of Venice," and "Richard III." In films (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring; Dongseung) and dramas (Queen Seondeok; Mujin), he mainly portrayed monks.

"Squid Game" was also nominated for Best Actor in a TV category (Lee Jung-jae) and Best Drama but did not win. However, just being on the nominee list is considered meaningful. Until last year, the Golden Globes were exclusive to non-English works. If more than half of the dialogue was not in English, the work was classified as a foreign language film. Therefore, Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" and Lee Isaac Chung's "Minari" could not be nominated for major categories such as Best Picture or acting awards. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which organizes the Golden Globes, made changes this year but held a modest ceremony due to a boycott by the local film and broadcasting industry. Last year, the predominantly white membership was exposed, sparking racial discrimination controversies, and opaque financial management issues led to allegations of corruption. Added to this were gender discrimination controversies, leading major production companies and PR agencies to declare non-participation. NBC, which has broadcast the ceremony live every year, did not air the event this year. Amid the cold atmosphere, the HFPA released the nominees for each category on YouTube.

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