30th Busan International Film Festival, Lee Jung-eun and Yoo Tae-oh are looking for new actors!

Actors Lee Jung-eun and Yoo Tae-oh, selected as judges for the Actor of the Year award at the 30th Busan International Film Festival, which will be held for ten days from September 17 (Wednesday) to 26 (Friday), are gaining attention. This award was established in 2014 to discover and highlight new actors in Korean feature independent films, and is awarded to the male and female actors who showcase the best performances in Korean works in the Vision section. It is a meaningful occasion that reflects careful attention and support for the new talents who will lead the future of Korean cinema.

Lee Jung-eun, participating as a judge, left a deep impression on audiences with her delicate performances in the dramas 〈Mr. Sunshine〉 (2018), 〈The Light in Your Eyes〉 (2019), and 〈When the Camellia Blooms〉 (2019). She appeared as Moon-gwang in the film 〈Parasite〉 (2019), winning Best Supporting Actress at the Blue Dragon Film Awards and establishing herself as a prominent actress in South Korea. Based on her experience on stage in theater and musicals, she showcases a wide acting spectrum across various genres, actively participating in works such as 〈Okja〉 (2017), 〈The Book of Fish〉 (2021), 〈The Day I Died〉 (2020), 〈The Silent Sea〉 (2022), and 〈Zombie Daughter〉 (2025).

Yoo Tae-oh made his international debut with the competition entry 〈Leto〉 (2018) at the Cannes Film Festival, and has since continued to be active in various works including 〈Vertigo〉 (2019), the drama 〈Money Game〉 (2020), 〈Health Teacher Ahn Eun-young〉 (2020), and 〈The Recruit Season 2〉 (2025). He also showcased his directorial skills in the documentary 〈Log In Belgium〉 (2021), and received high praise for his outstanding internal performance as Jung Hae-sung in 〈Fast Lives〉 (2023). Yoo Tae-oh has particularly solidified his position as a global actor by being nominated for Best Actor at the 2024 British Academy Film Awards, making him the first Korean actor to achieve this.

The winners of the Actor of the Year award will each receive a prize of 5 million won, and it is expected that Lee Jung-eun and Yoo Tae-oh will present the awards in person at the 30th Busan International Film Festival's 'Night of Vision'. This award will serve as an important opportunity to discover and support the potential of new actors for the development of the Korean film industry. In particular, this award ceremony, where senior actors directly present the awards to the next generation of stars, will deepen the significance of the film festival.