Singer and actor IU (Lee Ji-eun) again took home the grand prize with When Life Gives You Tangerines.
On the 29th afternoon at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) Art Hall 1 in Seoul, the 11th APAN Star Awards (2025 Seoul Con APAN Star Awards) was held. Actor Kim Seungwoo and broadcaster Park Sun-young hosted the 2025 APAN Star Awards, the only integrated drama awards ceremony in Korea that covers content from all domestic channels including terrestrial, cable, comprehensive programming, OTT and web dramas.
At this awards ceremony IU was crowned the honored winner of the grand prize. In the Netflix original series When Life Gives You Tangerines, released last March, IU performed dual roles as O Ae-sun and her daughter Yang Geum-myeong, moving many to tears and earning praise for her acting.
Thanks to that powerful performance, When Life Gives You Tangerines topped various search sites as the drama category's "search term of the year," and it was the only Korean drama named on IMDB's list of the "best TV series of 2025." In addition, it received the most nominations at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards and the 4th Blue Dragon Series Awards, and it won an astonishing 11 categories at the 2025 Asia Artist Awards.
IU had also been recognized for her acting by winning the grand prize "actor of the year" at the 2025 Asia Artist Awards. Meanwhile, at the 2025 APAN Star Awards she once again won the grand prize through When Life Gives You Tangerines, further solidifying her standing as an actor. Thus IU has conquered grand prizes not only as a singer but also as an actor, recording a career high.
After receiving the trophy, IU tearfully said, "When Life Gives You Tangerines is a precious series for me that will remain proudly like a medal for my future just for having participated. First, I really thank writer Im Sang-chun for giving me two unforgettable characters for my lifetime, O Ae-sun and Yang Geum-myeong."
Addressing writer Im Sang-chun, she said, "If you ever come into my life once more, I would like to serve you better then," and she added, "Director Kim Won-seok in front of me, your perfectionism and high standards were honestly sometimes difficult for me, but I know well that if not for your affectionate gaze, I would have wandered and regretted many more days on set. I am very grateful and I respect you."
She continued, "I think this award was given to me thanks to Kim Yong-rim, Na Moon-hee, senior Moon Sori, senior Park Hae-jun, our Park Bo-gum, Kang Yoo-seok and the many beloved senior actors, teachers and colleagues. It was sometimes joyful but also frightening to think I had to film in the same angle as such wonderful actors because I feared my shortcomings would be exposed, but in the end their excellence covered my shortcomings and I know that well. I am very thankful. I also want to thank the director of photography, art director, chief makeup artist and the many staff members. It was an honor to work with the best, and if by chance we meet again on another project, I promise to create a happier and more enjoyable set then," conveying heartfelt thanks to those who worked on the project.
She added, "To the many viewers who loved When Life Gives You Tangerines, I think our work was simply the story of people who faithfully and steadfastly live each given day. Even when something terribly sad happens, they must prepare for tomorrow, so they have to eat, and yet they are people who know how to love life. I sincerely hope that for all the viewers who sent support, understanding and empathy to their lives, a dazzling, wonderful reward like the canola fields that Ae-sun and Gwan-sik walked through awaits at the next crossroads." she added, deepening the emotion.
Meanwhile, IU is currently filming MBC's new drama 21st-century grand military lady as her next project. Starring IU and Byeon Wooseok, 21st-century grand military lady is set in a 21st-century constitutional monarchy Korea and is a status-breaking romance about a wealthy chaebol who is annoyingly of lowly status as a commoner, and a sad man who is the son of the king but can have nothing, scheduled to air in April next year.<
[Photo] OSEN DB, tvN
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