The 23rd Director’s Cut Awards were held on the evening of the 20th.
This year’s nominees were selected from films and series released between January 1st, 2024, and March 31st, 2025, directed by regular and associate members of the Korean Film Directors’ Guild. Awards were given in 13 categories—8 for films and 5 for series.
The film that took home the most trophies was Exhuma. Director Jang Jae Hyun won both Best Director and Best Screenplay, while Kim Go Eun received Best Actress, and Lee Do Hyun was honored with the New Male Actor award.
Exhuma is an occult mystery involving a geomancer, a funeral director, and a shaman who face strange events after relocating a grave for a large sum of money. The film premiered in February last year and attracted over 11.91 million viewers.
In the Best Actor category—highly anticipated due to Yoo Ah In’s nomination for The Match—the award ultimately went to Lee Byung Hun for the same film.
The New Director Award was presented to Nam Dong Hyup for Handsome Guys, and the Vision Award went to Oh Jung Min for House of the Seasons. The New Female Actor award was given to Kim Geum Soon for Star of Ulsan.
In the series category, Netflix’s A Killer Paradox won three awards: Best Director went to Lee Chang Hee, Best Actor to Lee Hee Joon, and New Male Actor to Kim Yo Han.
For Best Actress in a series, Bae Doona won for Coupang Play’s Family Matters, while Moon Geun Young received the New Female Actor award for her transformation in Netflix’s Hellbound Season 2.
The Directors Cut Awards began in 2017, evolving from the “Young Film Directors’ Cut,” originally established in 1998 by the DGK. Winners and nominees are selected by votes from Korean film directors. Since 2022, the awards have also included series categories.
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Here are the winners of the 23rd Directors Cut Awards:
Film
Best Director: Jang Jae Hyun (Exhuma)
Best Screenplay: Jang Jae Hyun (Exhuma)
Best Actor: Lee Byung Hun (The Match)
Best Actress: Kim Go Eun (Exhuma)
New Director: Nam Dong Hyup (Handsome Guys)
New Male Actor: Lee Do Hyun (Exhuma)
New Female Actor: Kim Geum Soon (Star of Ulsan)
Vision Award: Oh Jung Min (House of the Seasons)
Series
Best Director: Lee Chang Hee (A Killer Paradox)
Best Actor: Lee Hee Joon (A Killer Paradox)
Best Actress: Bae Doona (Family Matters)
New Male Actor: Kim Yo Han (A Killer Paradox)
New Female Actor: Moon Geun Young (Hellbound Season 2)
Source: DGK
