Actor Kim You Jung is causing shock after failing to even make the Baeksang Arts Awards nominees despite an extraordinary performance in Dear X.
On the 13th, the organizers of the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards announced this year's nominees and works on their official website. Among them, the competition for the best actress award in the broadcasting category drew attention.
This year's Baeksang nominees for best actress in the broadcasting category included Kim Go-eun and Park Ji-hyun of the Netflix series You and Everything Else, Shin Hae-sun of the Netflix series Ray Lady Dua, Park Boyoung of the tvN drama Our Unwritten Seoul, and Lim Yoona of the tvN drama Bon Appétit, Your Majesty.
At first glance, the mentioned works and actors seem reasonable. But the omission of certain works and performers left strong doubts. Namely, Kim You Jung of the TVING original series Dear X was left out.
Dear X is a drama that tells the story of Baek A-jin (played by Kim You Jung), a woman who wears a mask to escape hell and climb to the highest place, and the Xs who were brutally trampled by her. It was released as a TVING original series from Nov. 6 through the end of last year and stirred intense discussion.
Among them, Kim You Jung's intense performance drew admiration every episode. The adaptation of the webtoon of the same name, a femme fatale transformation that completely shed her image as a former child actor, and sublime acting that ranged from chillingly cold judgment to manic rage contributed. Reactions went as far as saying, "Baek A-jin cannot be imagined without Kim You Jung" and "our You Jung has changed."
Thanks to that, Dear X was cited as the work that cemented Kim You Jung's presence as an actress not only for fans but also for the public who have remembered her since childhood. Even before the Baeksang nominees were announced, Kim You Jung was predicted as a major contender among various drama fans. But when the nominees were revealed, there was no sign of her.
Not only Kim You Jung but the entire Dear X was not nominated in any category at Baeksang. The phrase "Kim You Jung passing" and even "TVING passing," meaning that not a single work from TVING made the list, emerged, leaving the impression that they might have been deliberately excluded. Moreover, Park Shin-hye, who received praise for the tvN drama Undercover Miss Hong for depicting female solidarity, was also overlooked at this year's Baeksang.
Of course, it is not that the announced nominees are indefensible. The two title roles in You and Everything Else, which drew praise for powerful performances on the theme of euthanasia; Shin Hae-sun, who received acclaim for an extraordinary performance in Ray Lady Dua; Park Boyoung, who drew praise for playing dual roles in Our Unwritten Seoul; and Lim Yoona, whose Bon Appétit, Your Majesty recorded a peak viewership rating of 17.1%, all gave the announced nominees sufficient qualification.
However, despite the limited number of five nominees per category, it is particularly regrettable that You and Everything Else had two nominees in the same category while Kim You Jung and Park Shin-hye did not even get a chance. This leaves an uncomfortable lingering impression that "nevertheless, it is disappointing."
In addition, broadcaster Yu Jae-seok did not receive a nomination for either individual work or the hit web entertainment Pinggego. Debate continues over this year's Baeksang nominees. The disappointing selection of nominees before the event even begins is likely to cast questions over the course of this year's Baeksang.
[Photo] OSEN DB, provided by TVING and Awesome ENT.
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