Actor Lee Hae-Young solidified his status as a "scene-stealing actor," proving his presence in every scene by winning the scene-stealer award at the 2025 Korea drama awards.
Lee Hae-Young won the scene-stealer award for SBS "Buried Hearts" at the 16th Korea Drama Awards held Nov. 11 at the Gyeongnam Arts Center Grand Theater in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do.
The 16th Korea drama awards is the largest single drama awards ceremony in Korea, honoring drama works, actors and production staff among 92 dramas broadcast domestically over the year on the three major terrestrial broadcasters, cable, general programming channels and OTTs (source data provided by FlexOn).
This year Lee Hae-Young played Heo Il-do, the eldest son-in-law of the Daesan Group chairman who harbors ambitions to pass the Daesan Group to his own son and the president of Daesan Energy, in SBS "Buried Hearts," injecting tension into the drama. According to Nielsen Korea, the final episode of "Buried Hearts" recorded viewership ratings of 15.7% in the Seoul metropolitan area and 15.4% nationwide, surpassing the 15% barrier to reach the highest ratings in the drama's history and ending on a high note.
In the drama, Lee Hae-Young dominated the screen alongside Park Hyung-sik (playing Seo Dong-joo) and Heo Jun-ho (playing Yeom Jang-seon) in a three-person acting showdown. In the process, he controlled the screen with a fierce performance that meticulously captured the complex emotions of a character torn between ambition and paternal love in his eyes, expressions and every gesture, raising the show's tension. He notably delivered memorable scenes through physically demanding performances, including underwater filming and hand-to-hand combat, showcasing his presence as a lead.
Lee Hae-Young said, "There were difficult moments while filming "Buried Hearts," but I am so happy to receive such a big award. I thank the writer and director, the staff who worked on "Buried Hearts," and my fellow senior and junior actors. Above all, I sincerely thank the viewers who cherished and watched Buried Hearts," and added, "I will work to become an actor who approaches his craft even more earnestly."
Meanwhile, Lee Hae-Young has bolstered his unique standing as an actor whose "presence is the narrative" by simultaneously driving ratings and public interest with each project and enhancing a work's completeness through overwhelming performances that fully immerse in each character. He was loved for intense performances in Netflix's The Glory, Hounds, and Gale. He then established himself as a trusted actor by showing a wide acting spectrum and solid skills in Disney+'s Trigger and SBS's "Buried Hearts."
[Photo] Filmissuda
[OSEN]