In a surprising turn of events, veteran actor Lee Sung-min, with 37 years in the industry, clinched the Best New Actor award at the 2nd Pinggyego Awards. Lee triumphed over notable contenders like K-pop star Karina, acclaimed actors Koo Kyo-hwan, Park Bo-young, Kang Min-kyung, and Jin Seon-kyu, making headlines for his unexpected win.
The awards ceremony, pre-recorded and broadcast on the Ddeun Ddeun YouTube channel on December 22, featured Lee accepting the honor via video message due to his absence. In his speech, Lee expressed his delight, stating, “At an age where life feels sluggish, receiving a Best New Actor award gives me a fresh sense of purpose and energy.” He humorously added, “If given the chance, I’d like to work harder in this field and aim for the Popularity Award or even the Grand Prize in the future.”
He concluded by sharing his gratitude, saying, “This award, which provides me with more energy than any other accolade in 2024, allows me to wrap up this year on a happy note.”
The event featured an impressive lineup of attendees, including last year’s Grand Prize winner Lee Dong-wook, actors Park Shin-hye, Cha Seung-won, Lee Kwang-soo, model Jang Yoon-ju, singers Davichi, Lee Dong-hwi, SHINee’s Key, Girls’ Generation’s Yuri, Byul, and television personalities Yoo Byung-jae, Cho Se-ho, Song Ji-hyo, Lee Jung-ha, Yang Se-chan, and Im Soo-jung, among others.
Top Honors of the Night
The Best Actor award went to Lee Dong-hwi, who shared, “Being part of Pinggyego has been incredibly comforting for me. I will strive to become someone truly deserving of this award.” His heartfelt speech brought him to tears.
Hosted by Yoo Jae-suk, Pinggyego is a talk show series known for its relaxed and open conversations, gaining praise for offering a fresh perspective in the era of short-form content. Over the qualification period (November 2023 to November 2024), the series released 45 episodes featuring 77 guests and achieved a cumulative 563.53 million views, solidifying its immense popularity.
Winners of the 2nd Pinggyego Awards
Best New Actor: Lee Sung-min
Popularity Star Award (Rising): SHINee’s Key, Kim Go-eun
Popularity Star Award (Veteran): Ji Suk-jin, Hong Jin-kyung
Best Work: Return of Lunar New Year Pinggyego (Featuring Gong Yoo, Lee Dong-wook, Cho Se-ho, Yoo Jae-suk)
Excellence Award: Lee Sang-yi
Best Actor: Lee Dong-hwi
Grand Prize: Hwang Jung-min (Poonghyang High)
Special Grand Prize: Yoo Jae-suk