Kim Tae Ri has just been awarded the Grand Prize at the 2024 SeoulCon APAN Star Awards for her outstanding role in Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born.

The event took place on December 28th at the Art Hall 1 of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul. This year’s prestigious Grand Prize was given to Kim Tae Ri, recognizing her exceptional performance in the hit tvN drama Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born.

Kim Tae Ri expressed her gratitude, saying, “Whenever I receive an award like this, I always wonder if I can ever be calm. At the APAN Awards, I received the Best New Actress award for my role as Go Ae Shin in my first drama, Mr. Sunshine. Now, I am so thankful to the judges for awarding me the Grand Prize as well.”

Reflecting on her time working on Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born, she continued, “Spending such a long time with this drama made it feel surreal when it ended. I realized I hadn’t fully grasped the emotions. It was like leaving a room without turning off the light. As I thought about my acceptance speech, I wanted to remember and reflect on how I felt during that time, instead of focusing on how I feel now.”

Kim Tae Ri also shared a touching memory, “I remember singing a song from the drama quietly in a taxi. The driver asked why I was singing so quietly. He told me it reminded him of his mother and shared childhood stories with me. In the busy and tiring moments of life, I hope the viewers found happiness during the time Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born aired. I want to share the joy and emotions I experienced, whether filming by the beach, in the forest, or under the sun. I believe those feelings naturally came through in my performance.”

The actress went on to express her hopes for the future: “If I have one big wish, it’s for women’s traditional Korean theater (Gukgeuk) to truly find its place in our cultural arts, to be preserved, and passed down. That’s my hope.”

Wrapping up her speech, Kim Tae Ri offered a heartfelt message: “The weather is cold, and I believe 2024 has been especially tough for everyone. I hope that 2025 will bring true peace and prosperity to everyone.”

The 2024 SeoulCon APAN Star Awards is an all-encompassing drama awards ceremony that honors content from all platforms, including terrestrial, cable, and OTT channels.

Organized by the Korea Entertainment Management Association and the Seoul Economic Promotion Agency, the event recognized the best drama content from November 2023 to October 2024 across 19 categories.

Source: [1]

A recent KBS drama shoot starring Girls' Generation's Seohyun and 2PM's Taecyeon has sparked controversy after accusations of damaging a UNESCO World Heritage site.

On January 2, architect Min Seo Hong took to Facebook to criticize the production of the upcoming drama I Took the Male Lead's First Night, which used Byeongsan Seowon, a historic Korean Confucian academy, as a filming location.

His post, titled "An Account of What I Witnessed at Byeongsan Seowon," detailed shocking allegations about the crew's actions.

Min shared that he visited Byeongsan Seowon on December 30, only to find the site bustling with drama staff.

"As I approached, I saw crew members moving around. At first, I didn’t realize it was a filming set, but when I entered the seowon, I felt uneasy knowing this historic site was being used this way," he wrote.

What he saw inside was alarming. According to Min, props were scattered throughout the seowon, and staff were hammering nails into wooden pillars to hang lights.

When he confronted them, they reportedly dismissed his concerns, saying, "We already have permission from Andong City. If you’re curious, contact them."

Determined to take action, Min contacted Andong City’s Cultural Heritage Department. A city official admitted they had approved the filming but appeared unaware of the damage being done.

"When I asked if they knew about the nails in the wooden pillars, they seemed flustered and promised to order their removal immediately," Min shared.

Experts later informed Min that incidents like this aren’t uncommon, with some modern heritage sites even being dismantled for filming. "People might think hammering nails is minor, but in traditional Korean houses, it’s a big deal to even drive in one nail. For cultural heritage, this should never happen," he said.

Min’s biggest concern is the decision to allow such a valuable site, designated as Historic Site No. 260 and a UNESCO World Heritage site, to be used for filming at all. "This was a KBS drama production, and it’s deplorable that they showed such little care for cultural heritage," he added.

The drama, I Took the Male Lead's First Night, is already drawing backlash before its release, with many netizens expressing anger over the alleged damage to the historic site. Comments online include:

"Why are cultural heritage sites being used as filming locations in the first place?"

"If this is true, KBS owes an apology not just to viewers but to the nation."

"Respect for cultural heritage should come before making a drama."

Neither KBS nor the drama's production team has released an official statement regarding the allegations.

However, the issue has sparked heated debate, with many calling for stricter regulations on the use of heritage sites for filming.

Source: [1]