2024 SBS Drama Awards Highlights: Jung Yu-min's Surprise Pregnancy Announcement and Kim Tae-ri's Slip of the Tongue

This year’s ‘2024 SBS Drama Awards’ took place amidst great anticipation from viewers. Held at the SBS Prism Tower in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, this awards ceremony was a special moment where various drama productions and actors gathered to reflect on the past year. As it was a live broadcast, unexpected happenings and actors’ heartfelt feelings emerged throughout the event. Today, let’s take a look at the various issues that unfolded at the scene one by one.

Source: 2024 SBS Drama Awards broadcast screen

First, let’s share the surprising news of actress Jung Yu-min’s unexpected pregnancy that became a major topic. Jung Yu-min, while receiving the Supporting Actress award in the mini-series genre/action category, expressed her affection for the drama ‘Connection’ (커넥션) she starred in, along with sharing her special personal news. While news of her wedding after filming the drama this year had already been reported, she surprised everyone by announcing, “I came here today with my baby in my belly.” She drew even more attention as she was on stage wearing a gorgeous dress. The news that she attended the awards ceremony while pregnant brought a flood of congratulations from fellow actors.

Jung Yu-min introduced her baby’s nickname as ‘Chukbok-i’ (축복이). She said the name means she hopes the baby will grow up in an environment full of love and happiness. On the awards stage, Jung Yu-min expressed her gratitude to the production team and all the staff, expressing her thanks to those who worked hard for the drama despite the cold weather. She also expressed her ambition to take good care of her body to give birth to a healthy child while steadily building her career as an actress. With the happy news of welcoming a new life and winning the Supporting Actress award, Jung Yu-min truly experienced double happiness.

Source: 2024 SBS Drama Awards broadcast screen

Meanwhile, another issue that arose during the awards ceremony was actress Kim Tae-ri’s on-air slip of the tongue. Kim Tae-ri, who had received the joint Grand Prize last year, took the stage as a presenter this year. During this, she inadvertently said, “This year’s MBC…” She was momentarily startled, covering her mouth in embarrassment, but Lee Je-hoon, who was on stage with her, wittily responded, “SBS, right?” The scene became heartwarming as fellow actors in the audience applauded. Kim Tae-ri immediately apologized, explaining, “I was nervous.” The live broadcast made the atmosphere even more vivid. Thankfully, it ended happily without any major incidents.

Another highlight of the awards ceremony was Kim Nam-gil and Lee Ha-nee, who starred in ‘Hot Blooded Priest 2’ (열혈사제2). The two jointly won the Best Acting Award in the seasonal drama category. Although they were predicted to win the Grand Prize, they took the stage after being named for the Best Acting Award. In his acceptance speech, Kim Nam-gil confessed, “The good response to season 1 put a lot of pressure on me.” He delivered a heartfelt message of gratitude to the staff who worked hard to maintain the quality of the work despite their busy schedules, saying that the atmosphere on set was like a family. Following this, Lee Ha-nee confessed, “Actually, I missed this work for 5 years,” expressing her joy at rejoining the project.

Source: 2024 SBS Drama Awards broadcast screen

Lee Ha-nee also revealed that a new change in her life had come. She honestly said, “With the arrival of someone more precious than me, I’ve learned to let go of myself,” expressing her ambition to show a deeper side as an actress and as a mother. She also added that after going through her 30s, pushing herself to the limit, she now has a more relaxed and firm mindset. Viewers developed further anticipation for her acting career going forward.

There was also great interest in whether Jang Na-ra and Park Shin-hye, who played ‘Good Partner’ (굿파트너), would win the Grand Prize. In the end, Kim Nam-gil and Lee Ha-nee won the Best Acting Award, and Jang Na-ra and Park Shin-hye smiled brightly, each winning prestigious awards in meaningful categories. In particular, Nam Ji-hyun, who appeared in ‘Good Partner,’ won the Best Acting Award in the Human Fantasy category and delivered a moving acceptance speech. She revealed that creating the work with her colleagues in the midst of difficult personal circumstances was a great comfort, touching many people. Kim Jae-young of ‘Judge from Hell’ (지옥에서 온 판사), who also won an award, expressed his gratitude to the director and production staff, saying that his work on the production allowed him to grow further.

Source: 2024 SBS Drama Awards broadcast screen

Overall, this ‘2024 SBS Drama Awards’ offered a wealth of sights as various individuals shared their stories. It was an opportunity to see how the dramas that had been with viewers throughout the year were completed, and to see the mindset of the actors and staff involved in the productions. By witnessing Jung Yu-min’s pregnancy, Kim Tae-ri’s cute mistake, and the sincere stories shared by Kim Nam-gil and Lee Ha-nee, we were able to glimpse not only the characters in the dramas but also the human side of the actors.

In particular, the witty responses and genuine acceptance speeches of the actors amid the unique tension of a live broadcast provided another source of entertainment for the viewers. Although award ceremonies always highlight only the glamorous and shining aspects, it made us realize once again that numerous efforts and anecdotes lie behind the scenes. It felt like all the concerns about how much effort goes into creating a single drama and what message they want to convey to the viewers through the final product were included.

Even though, at the end of this cold year, the actors are outwardly wearing glamorous clothes and receiving the spotlight, the passion and countless efforts to show the viewers are felt. Now that the awards ceremony is over, they will continue their busy schedules with new projects and challenges. We already look forward to what interesting works and the actors' passionate performances will come next year. We hope viewers will empathize with the stories in various dramas and share the emotion and fun with the actors, and we cheer for another successful year in 2024 for the drama industry.

This concludes our look at the noteworthy events from the ‘2024 SBS Drama Awards.’ For some, it was the happiest moment of their lives; for others, there were mistakes, but overall, it was a celebratory stage where everyone meaningfully concluded the year. Let’s look forward to the even more diverse dramas that will unfold on SBS and various other channels in the new year, and let's cheer on the actors’ achievements.

Actress Jung Yu-min?

Jung Yu-min is a Korean actress who is receiving attention for her delicate acting skills and natural expressions. She has established herself as a familiar face to the public by actively working in various dramas and films. She particularly excels in emotional acting, captivating audiences with performances that evoke empathy. Her works mostly focus on romance and drama genres, and she is an actress whose future career is highly anticipated.

Since her debut in the 2012 drama ‘Holyland’ (홀리랜드), she has broadened her acting spectrum by working in various productions. Her major works are as follows:

Dramas:

• 'Youna's Street' (유나의 거리) (2014): Kim Young-mi role
• 'High School Love On' (하이스쿨 러브온) (2014): Kim Ju-a role
• 'Moonlight Drawn by Clouds' (구르미 그린 달빛) (2016): Wol-hee role
• 'Only Good Days' (꽃길만 걸어요) (2019): Hwang Su-ji role
• 'Itaewon Class' (이태원 클라쓰) (2020): Blind Date Woman role (Special appearance)
• 'Hospital Playlist' (슬기로운 의사생활) (2020): Bride-to-be role (Special appearance)
• 'Red Shoes' (빨강구두) (2021): Kwon Hye-bin role
• 'Red Balloon' (빨간풍선) (2022~2023): Jo Eun-san role
• 'Celebrity' (셀러브리티) (2023): Han Yu-rang role
• 'The Textbook of a Perfect Marriage' (완벽한 결혼의 정석) (2023): Han I-ju role

Films:

• 'The Pitch Perfect Clinic' (음치클리닉) (2012): Jin Seon-mi role
• 'Witness' (목격자) (2018): Yoon Hee-won role
• 'My Special Brother' (나의 특별한 형제) (2019): Lee Su-jin reporter role

Through these works, Jung Yu-min is recognized for her acting skills, portraying diverse characters.