Organized by the JoongAng Group and known as one of South Korea’s most prestigious entertainment awards, The 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards will be held on May 8th of this year, featuring new categories including Stage Musicals alongside film, television and theatre awards.
The ceremony highlights excellence in film, television, and theatre, and will be broadcast live, allowing fans to follow the award winners in real time. As nominees for this year’s awards have finally been announced, there is a particularly eye-catching record in the history of the Baeksang Arts Awards– six actors born in the 1990s won the leading role award. A generation of stars is turning heads, and you don’t want to miss them either.
Check out the 90s line of stars who won top acting awards at relatively young ages amid fierce competition with accredited actors.
Shim Eun Kyung
In 2014, Shim Eun Kyung won her Baeksang Award for Best Actress in the film Miss Granny at the mere age of 21. Born in 1994, the youthful fantasy storyline required an actress with fresh energy, and the film came to life as she expressively played the role of a woman granted the chance to live out life in her twenties once more. Her carefree and whimsical acting that reflected her youthful mindset at that time led the movie to be a box office success, especially due to her wide range of acting that transcends comedy and emotion. Her recent film Two Seasons, Two Strangers also won the Golden Leopard at Locarno in 2025, proving she’s still got that actor’s spark.
Kang Ha Neul
Kang Ha Neul, born in 1990, is another young talent who was recognized for both his popularity and cinematic quality when portraying his characters. At just 31 years old, Kang Ha Neul won a Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actor in a drama in 2020. His delicate characteristics and emotional display through the story of Officer Hwang Yong Sik in When the Camellia Blooms forged an unforgettable and relatable character. He won the first Baeksang Leadership Award as well with his life-like acting that drew raw sympathy from viewers. Kang Haneul now touches the hearts of wanderlust addicts with the emotional story of living abroad in The First Ride.
Jun Jong Seo
The talented Jun Jong Seo, born in 1994, impressed the movie industry with his strong performance in CALL alongside Park Shin Hye. Having shown unrivaled presence since her big-screen debut, Jun has established herself as a next-generation storyteller by winning the award for a leading role, the Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Actress in a Film in 2021, at the young age of 28. Thanks to the fear-driven plot and thrilling film highlighting her refreshingly different interpretation of characters, even alongside an experienced actress, Jun Jong Seo proved that new faces could shine. Jun continued to exhibit her more active side through Project Y, a neo-noir dramatic crime film released in 2025.
Kim Tae Ri
Kim Tae Ri, born in 1990, garnered huge recognition for her roles and set a huge accomplishment as the only actor born in the 90s to win two major awards for multiple dramas. She has since been regarded as an actress representing her generation, proving she possesses a wide spectrum of abilities as her ensembles range from coming-of-age, youthful pieces and cultural period dramas with bitter storylines. Kim Taeri won the Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Actress in a Drama at 33 for Twenty-Five Twenty-One in 2022 and in 2025 for Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born after turning 36. Kim Taeri showed from an early age that she continues to develop her craft as she improves and impresses audiences throughout the years. She is currently entertaining viewers with Curtain Up, Class.
Junho
2PM’s Junho, born in 1990, rose through the ranks with his role in The Red Sleeve. The period piece showed the talented actor creating deep interpretations of the character, marking him an essential piece to the story outside of the leads. In 2022, Junho was awarded the Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Actor in a drama after the historical piece marked a new turning point for his career as he grew beyond the prejudice that he was merely an idol-turned-actor. At just 33 years old, Junho became a top actor just like that and continued to find success in series like Netflix Cashero.
Kim Go Eun
Kim Go Eun, born in 1991, has many achievements under her belt. She blossomed in Guardian: The Lonely and Great God and took on dynamic roles in Yumi’s Cells. However, Kim Go Eun wowed with her eccentric role as a shaman in the occult genre Exhuma in 2024, which won the top prize in the film category. Noting her strong sense of acting within such a suspense-driven storyline, Kim Go Eun was awarded the 2024 Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Actress in a Film at just 34 years old, and the meaningful honor marked her steady expansion of filmography over the years. Now she returns to our phone screens with Yumi Cell’s 3.
What did you think of the list? The Baeksang Arts Awards’ leading actor award is an award that is honored when an actor is recognized for their work, popularity, and perfection of acting. Do you think these stars resemble these qualities? Which actor is your absolute favorite from the 90s line?
>> The 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards: Full List of Nominees Announced
Despite the Korean content industry rapidly expanding and changing generations, our favorite stars continue to impress and deliver unforgettable content. Be sure to tune in and see the Baeksang awards on May 8th and enjoy more K-Drama moments for free on Amasian TV.
