On November 29, the 45th Blue Dragon Film Awards took place at KBS Hall in Yeouido. The atmosphere at the awards ceremony had been somewhat subdued due to a recent scandal involving actor Jung Woo-sung and influencer Moon Ga-bi, which had cast a shadow over the event. Even when Jung Woo-sung, who had been uncertain about attending until the last minute, finally appeared, his serious expression caused a bit of tension in the room.
However, the mood quickly shifted thanks to one person: actor Koo Kyo-hwan. When Koo Kyo-hwan was announced as the winner of the Popular Star Award, he jumped up from his seat and shared a warm hug with his fellow actor Jung Hae-in before proudly standing tall toward the audience. This moment immediately turned the atmosphere into a burst of laughter.
Koo Kyo-hwan, who was called first, stood up with a serious expression and stared intently at the audience. His reaction made other actors nearby smile. Then, Jung Hae-in, sitting next to him, raised Koo Kyo-hwan’s hand in celebration, causing everyone to laugh. The two had previously worked together on the Netflix series “D.P.”.
After exchanging a heartfelt hug with Jung Hae-in, Koo Kyo-hwan celebrated his win by spreading his arms wide, much like a sports figure celebrating a victory. The other actors responded with enthusiastic applause.
Another memorable moment was when Jung Hae-in, who was congratulating Koo Kyo-hwan on his win, was unexpectedly called next to receive the Popular Star Award. His shocked reaction became a talking point, drawing comparisons to the iconic “Ji Hyun-woo moment” at the 2021 KBS Drama Awards, where actor Ji Hyun-woo appeared baffled when he was named Best Actor. Fans even joked that Jung Hae-in’s shocked reaction would create a new “Blue Dragon Film Awards meme” to rival the famous “Ji Hyun-woo moment.”
Koo Kyo-hwan, who appeared on stage with confidence, shared a cheerful speech, “Was it three years ago? When I won the Popular Star Award back then, it gave me the motivation to work hard in my acting for the next three years. I really wanted to come back today, so I was a bit greedy. I’m so happy to have received this award, and I will keep acting hard, not just for three years, but for 100 years. Thank you so much. This gives me so much strength.”
After hearing his speech, netizens on X (formerly Twitter) reacted with comments like, “Koo Kyo-hwan is truly consistent (in a good way),” “Is this not something you’d see at the Oscars?” “I feel like I’m watching a sitcom,” “Shouldn’t this be the Best Couple Award?”, “Only Koo Kyo-hwan would do this,” “Koo Kyo-hwan and Jung Hae-in truly deserve their awards,” and “The guy who knows how to enjoy winning – Koo Kyo-hwan! Hahaha.”
Koo Kyo-hwan had previously won the same award at the 42nd Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2021 for his role in “Escape from Mogadishu”. Back then, when he was called by actress Kim Hye-soo, he high-fived the actors around him and shared a passionate hug with Jo In-sung, showing Hollywood-style reactions that left everyone in stitches.
This year, Koo Kyo-hwan returned to the big screen with the film “Escape”. He also starred in the Netflix series “Parasyte: The Grey”. His upcoming projects include the tvN drama “Signal 2”, as well as the films “Seeking the King”, “Reawakened Man”, “Us and Them”, “Heavy Snow”, and “Colony”.
Source: Wikitree
