Actor Seo Kang-jun received the grand prize at the '2025 MBC Drama Awards.' Meeting viewers with his first project after discharge, he earned unanimous recognition for the grand prize by combining topicality, ratings and acting skills.
Seo Kang-jun raised the grand prize trophy at the '2025 MBC Drama Awards' held on the 30th. In the comeback work he chose after completing his military service, 'Undercover High School,' he showcased steady acting and a deepened emotional line, attracting attention from both viewers and the industry as a result.
Seo Kang-jun, who enlisted in the army as an active-duty soldier in November 2021 and was honorably discharged in May 2023, returned to the small screen after about three years with 'Undercover High School,' following Disney+'s 'Grid' released while he was serving in 2022. Seo Kang-jun gave a passionate performance as Jeong Hae-seong, a top field agent of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) who was assigned to the 'Undercover High School' operation.
'Undercover High School,' which generated great expectations even before it aired, immediately recorded high topicality and ratings after it began broadcasting. According to results released in February on FUNdex, the official platform of Good Data Corporation, 'Undercover High School' ranked first in TV-OTT drama topicality, and Seo Kang-jun ranked first in cast topicality.
'Undercover High School' rose to first place, pushing SBS's 'Buried Hearts' and tvN's 'My Dearest Nemesis,' which also premiered around the same time, to second and sixth place respectively, and the drama's competitiveness lay with its lead actor Seo Kang-jun.
Interest in the work naturally led to rising ratings, and as episodes accumulated it maintained stable figures, proving its box-office success. Its highest self-recorded rating was 8.3% (Nielsen Korea, nationwide households).
Positive reviews of his acting followed. Seo Kang-jun received praise for convincingly portraying the character's inner world with restrained emotional expression and deepened eye acting. In particular, despite being his first work after discharge, he demonstrated such steady acting rhythm that the hiatus seemed irrelevant, once again proving the label of a "reliable actor."
Above all, this grand prize had additional significance in that it was awarded to an actor who drove both artistic merit and topicality, beyond a simple popularity award. Seo Kang-jun firmly impressed his presence as the central axis leading the entire work, beyond individual stardom.
On stage, Seo Kang-jun candidly expressed, "If I say how I feel now, I'm more embarrassed than happy. I'm so surprised and embarrassed." About his comeback work after discharge, 'Undercover High School,' he said, "This is the first work I filmed after returning from the military. I missed this set so much," and confessed, "After acting for more than 10 years I always thought I should be grateful and cherish it, but I think I unconsciously lived forgetting that feeling."
Seo Kang-jun said, "After spending countless hours in the military I missed this set so much, and through 'Undercover' receiving such a heavy award makes me even more embarrassed and surprised."
Seo Kang-jun showed a humble attitude, saying, "While filming I often thought, 'I could be replaced at any time,'" and "When I look around, there are so many people who work harder and are more excellent than me. I wonder why I'm standing here and holding this award. I can only think it's because I was lucky."
Finally, he vowed, "I don't know how long I'll do this job, but I don't want to be replaced until the day I finish. So I'll research, think and act even more earnestly," and concluded his acceptance speech by saying, "I sincerely thank you."
Seo Kang-jun, who grabbed the grand prize with his comeback work after discharge. This award, which caught the three rabbits of topicality, ratings and acting ability, became not just a simple comeback but a signal flare announcing the start of another heyday.
[Photo] Provided by MBC
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