Actress Shin Se Kyung has unexpectedly come under fire from viewers and critics after bagging the "Best Supporting Actress" award at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards.
According to MSN, Shin Se Kyung won the Best Supporting Actress award on May 8, 2026, in the movie "Humint". Although she looked surprised and humble during her acceptance speech, public opinion soon polarized. The majority of the audience believed that experienced actress Yeom Hye Ran would have deserved the award for the movie "No Other Choice".
Discussions across Korean online communities, including popular forums, showed widespread confusion and criticism about the outcome. One trending post amassed hundreds of comments questioning the decision, with users expressing disbelief and frustration,
"This is ridiculous. I seriously don't understand," one fan said. Another commented, "Feels like they just wanted to make sure 'Humint' got something lol." Another chimed in, "Did 'Humint' even do well? Why are they trying so hard to give it a trophy?" and "She won it because it was a Ryoo Seung Wan movie."
As per Koreaboo, critics also accused the Baeksang Awards of favoritism toward films by well-known directors, suggesting that awards are distributed as a form of quota rather than merit.
"Humint" itself faced scrutiny for its portrayal of female characters, which many described as regressive. This added to the surprise that a female acting award was given for a film criticized for treating female roles as mere plot devices.
Comments from the publication highlighted the divide, "The movie got criticized for feeling regressive, especially for treating female characters like tools, and then they give an award to one of the female characters...? What even is this?" Another comment said, "I thought Yeom Hye Ran would win. Not it for real."
Despite the backlash, some fans defended Shin Se Kyung, emphasizing that criticism should not be directed personally at the actress but rather at the awards decision itself. The chat still sparks heated debates online even after the ceremony concludes.
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