Actors Kang Youseok, Lee Chae-min, Ha-young and Hong Hwa-yeon became the recipients of the rookie awards at the 2025 APAN Star Awards.
On the afternoon of the 29th at Art Hall 1 of Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul, the 11th APAN Star Awards (2025 Seoulcon APAN Star Awards) was held. The 2025 APAN Star Awards, hosted by actor Kim Seungwoo and broadcaster Park Sun-young, is the only integrated domestic drama awards ceremony that covers content across all channels, including terrestrial broadcasters, general programming channels, cable, OTT and web dramas.
On that day the male rookie award went jointly to Kang Youseok for When Life Gives You Tangerines and Resident Playbook, and to Lee Chae-min for Bon Appétit, Your Majesty and Crushology 101. Receiving the award, Kang Youseok said, This year went by very quickly. I am grateful to receive such a major award at the end of the year. I am thankful for the two works When Life Gives You Tangerines and Resident Playbook; there are so many people I owe thanks to. First, for When Life Gives You Tangerines, director Kim Won-seok, writer Im Sang-chun, many senior actors I filmed with, and IU nuna in front of me — I think a good work came out because of all of them and I was able to portray Eun-myung well.
He added, While filming Resident Playbook, thanks to director Min-su, writer Song-hee, director Shin Won-ho and writer Lee Woo-jung, and many actors, the charming character Jae-il could be created. I received a very meaningful award in 2025 and I think I had a good year. Next year I will continue to act and work hard to become a better actor, Kang Youseok. I dedicate this award to our fans who always support me, the agency staff who work behind me, and my beloved mother and father and my maternal grandmother in heaven, and I will do my best not to be ashamed. Thank you, he said.
Lee Chae-min said, It is truly an honor just to be here. I sincerely thank the APAN Star Awards organizers for giving me this valuable award. First, director Jang Tae-yu of Bon Appétit, Your Majesty — I truly love and thank you. I also thank and respect senior YoonA who helped me a lot. I sincerely thank all the seniors who supported me during filming and the site staff who endured from the cold winter to the hot summer. I am very grateful to the director, writer and staff of Crushology 101, to Jeong-ui and Jun-young who joined me, and to the Hermes team who tirelessly traveled to many places with me during filming. Finally, I love my parents, I like my younger sister, I love our Dali-byeoli dogs, and I sincerely thank and love our fans Champ. I also thank the company staff who looked after me during filming, he said.
Meanwhile, the female rookie award went to Ha-young for Face Me and The Trauma Code: Heroes on call, and to Hong Hwa-yeon for Buried Hearts and I Am A Running Mate. Ha-young said, First, I am very grateful to the APAN members for giving me this meaningful rookie award that I can receive for the first time in my life. I want to thank the cast of The Trauma Code: Heroes on call, including senior Yoon Kyung-ho, the director, all the staff and the production company. I think I would not have received this award without The Trauma Code: Heroes on call, so it holds deep meaning and I feel I received it on behalf of the show. I also thank all the staff and the director who worked hard with me on Face Me. I am very grateful to my company for working so hard for me, she said.
He said, I want to thank my family who may be watching the broadcast at home and my cat Jamong at home. There was one thing I wanted to say if I ever received an award: when I first started acting I began with the mindset of not giving up until I received an award. Now that I have received this once-in-a-lifetime meaningful rookie award from APAN, it feels significant and perhaps a little early, but I will repay the award with even better work and performances going forward. Thank you, he said, conveying his determination.
Hong Hwa-yeon said, This year I was able to greet audiences in three works: Buried Hearts, Tastefully Yours and I Am A Running Mate. I think it was lucky to appear in many works in a short period of time. I sincerely thank the directors and company colleagues who helped me meet this kind of luck, and I understand this award as a prompt to work harder; I am currently filming another project and will continue to work hard to become a better actor. I do not express myself well to my family, but I am always grateful, she said, showing a choked-up moment.
[photo] tvN
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