'Daum Sohee' Wins Best Picture at the Film Critics Association Awards

Best Director Award goes to Director Gaseongmun of 'Dream Palace'
Best Actor Award to Ryu Jun-yeol of 'Owl' and Kim Seo-hyung of 'Vinyl House'

Director Jeong Joo-ri's film 'Next Sohee' wins the Best Film Award at the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards (Yeongpyeong Awards).

The Korean Association of Film Critics announced the winners in sixteen categories of the 43rd Yeongpyeong Awards ceremony on the 3rd. The highest honor went to 'Next Sohee,' a drama highlighting Sohee (Kim Si-eun), a high school girl who goes on a field internship at a call center, and Detective Yoo-jin (Bae Doo-na), who questions the traces left behind by Sohee. Based on the 2017 Jeonju call center intern death incident, it starkly reveals the harsh realities faced by high school students. It depicts schools solely focused on employment rates, the Ministry of Education's lack of supervision, and companies exploiting children by abusing the system. With a calm progression, it points out social phenomena that disregard inequality and discrimination, and was screened as the closing film at the Critics' Week of the Cannes International Film Festival last year.

The Best Director Award goes to director Ga Seong-mun for 'Dream Palace.' The Best Actor Award is given to Ryu Jun-yeol for 'Owl,' and the Best Actress Award to Kim Seo-hyung for 'Vinyl House.' Kim Jong-su of 'Smuggling' and Lee Yoon-ji of 'Dream Palace' receive the Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress Awards, respectively. Director Ahn Tae-jin of 'Owl' wins the New Director Award, director Kim Hyun-jung of 'Flow' wins the Best Screenplay Award, cinematographer Kim Tae-kyung of 'Owl' wins the Best Cinematography Award, music director Jang Ki-ha of 'Smuggling' wins the Best Music Award, and art director Lee Hu-gyeong of 'Smuggling' wins the Technical Award. The Best New Actor and Best New Actress Awards go to Kim Si-eun of 'Next Sohee' and Jin-young of 'Christmas Carol,' respectively.

The New Critic Awards are given to Kim Yoon-jin (Best) and Song Sang-ho (Excellence). Yuk Jeong-hak, president of the Korean Association of Film Critics, said, "We focused on discovering works that embrace the future." The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to Lee Woo-seok, chairman of Dong-A Export Corporation, a living witness of Korean cinema who has been responsible for film import and production since the 1960s. The awards ceremony will be held on the 21st at the International Conference Hall of the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul.