Youn Yuh Jung proved that she could still be a gamechanger in the TV and film industry despite her age.
The skills and talents of South Korean stars have been put in the international spotlight after Youn Yuh Jung scored the Best Supporting Actress award at the 93rd Oscars. She also became one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time Magazine.
Because of her international success, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism awarded her the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit at the 2021 Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards ceremony – the highest national cultural medal.
This time, she might become the first Korean actress to have an Oscar and Emmy, thanks to her role in the hit TV series, Pachinko.
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Youn Yuh Jung Running To Rule Over Emmy
Youn Yuh Jung famously plays the role of Kim Sunja in the Apple TV+ series. The character is the main protagonist in Pachinko, who fights to have a better life when the Japanese conquered South Korea.
On Gold Derby’s website, the actress currently ranks ninth in the drama supporting actress category as of Thursday. Her rank went up from 12th place within three weeks.
With that, she might bring home the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in the upcoming Primetime Emmy Awards. It is the most prestigious honor for primetime television programming in the U.S, and it could make her the first South Korean actress – if ever – to have an Oscars and Emmy.
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Succession’s Sarah Snook and Ozark’s Julia Garner currently lead the race.
"If 'Pachinko' finds similar popularity after accruing that unanimous critical praise, it is likely that Youn will be recognized for her affecting work yet again," the website predicted.
Meanwhile, Pachinko ranks second in the Gold Derby’s prediction for the Outstanding Drama Series category following Succession.
Youn Yuh Jung Describes Pachinko Character
Amid the success of the series, the South Korean actress sat for an interview with Prestige, where she shared her thoughts about her character, Sunja.
According to Youn Yuh Jung, she felt an immediate connection with her character soon after reading the script.
“I experienced the same emotions through my mother. Sunja actually is around my mother’s age, they lived through the same period when Korea was occupied by Japan… When a country is ruled by another one, anything can happen. Somehow I felt as if I needed to play this role,” she said.
Only time can tell whether Youn Yuh Jung can bring home the glory again.
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