62nd Baeksang Noms Shock Fans: Kim Yoo Jung Left Out

Korea's most prestigious entertainment ceremony, the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards with Gucci, unveiled its full slate of nominees on April 13, 2026 — and the reaction was immediate. While major stars like Hyun Bin, Park Bo Young, and SNSD's Lim Yoona secured coveted spots on the ballot, several fan favorites were conspicuously absent from the list, igniting fierce debate across Korean online communities.

The ceremony is set for May 8, 2026, at COEX D Hall in Gangnam, Seoul, with live coverage across JTBC, JTBC2, and JTBC4. For the eighth consecutive year, the returning MC trio of Shin Dong Yup (12th hosting stint), Suzy (11th year), and Park Bo Gum (8th year) will guide proceedings — a partnership that has become one of the ceremony's most beloved traditions.

Nominations cover productions that aired or were released between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026. This year's edition also marks a historic milestone: the introduction of a brand-new Musical category, placing Korea's thriving musical theater scene on equal footing with television, film, and theater for the first time.

Drama's Five-Way Battle — and the Stars Who Weren't Invited

The television drama categories produced fiercely competitive fields. In Best Drama, five titles are in contention: tvN's "Our Unwritten Seoul", JTBC's "The Dream Life of Mr. Kim", Netflix's "You and Everything Else", Disney+'s "Low Life", and tvN's "Bon Appétit, Your Majesty."

The Best Actor race gathers five of Korea's most acclaimed performers: Ryu Seung Ryong ("The Dream Life of Mr. Kim"), Park Jinyoung ("Our Unwritten Seoul"), Lee Junho ("Typhoon Family"), Ji Sung ("The Judge Returns"), and Hyun Bin ("Made in Korea"). Lee Junho's nomination — earning a spot alongside screen veterans Ryu Seung Ryong and Hyun Bin — has been hailed by fans as a landmark moment for the idol-turned-actor, whose work in "Typhoon Family" is widely viewed as his most layered performance to date.

The Best Actress field brought a genuinely unprecedented moment. Kim Go Eun and Park Ji Hyun, co-stars from Netflix's "You and Everything Else," both landed nominations in the same category — an extraordinary occurrence that immediately drew attention. They face Park Bo Young ("Our Unwritten Seoul"), Shin Hae Sun ("The Art of Sarah"), and Lim Yoona ("Bon Appétit, Your Majesty").

Yet the story dominating online conversations is not who made the list, but who did not. Kim Yoo Jung, whose transformative work in Tving's "Dear X" generated months of online buzz, was absent from the Best Actress lineup. Similarly, Park Shin Hye — whose "Undercover Miss Hong" reached a peak cable rating of 13.1 percent — went unrecognized in the lead acting categories. Her co-star Ha Yoon Kyung did earn a Best Supporting Actress nomination, making the main actress omission all the more striking.

The supporting categories feature strong lineups as well. Best Supporting Actor nominees are Kim Gun Woo, Yoo Seung Mok, Yoo Jae Myung, Jang Seung Jo, and Jin Sun Kyu. Best Supporting Actress contenders include Myung Se Bin, Won Mi Kyung, Lee Yi Dam, Lim Soo Jung, and Ha Yoon Kyung.

'The King's Warden' Dominates — 7 Nominations Lead All Entries

On the film side, one title towers above the rest. "The King's Warden" (왕과 사는 남자) secured seven nominations — the most of any single entry across all television and film categories this year. The acclaimed historical film received recognition in Best Picture, Best Actor (Yoo Hae Jin), Best Supporting Actor (Yoo Ji Tae), Best New Actor (Park Ji Hoon), Best Supporting Actress (Jeon Mi Do), Best Director (Jang Hang Jun), and an additional category.

Director Jang Hang Jun's nomination places him in distinguished company. The Best Director lineup includes none other than Park Chan Wook — a showdown between two of Korea's most respected filmmakers that has the industry talking. Jang's unconventional storytelling in "The King's Warden" against Park Chan Wook's meticulous craft represents the kind of conversation only the Baeksang can spark at the national level.

The film Best Actress category carries its own headline: Son Ye Jin — globally recognized through "Crash Landing on You" and who has largely stepped back from acting in recent years — earns a nomination for "No Other Choice." She competes alongside Go Ah Sung, Mun Ka Young, Lee Hye Young, and Han Ye Ri. "No Other Choice" also secured nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Lee Byung Hun), Best Supporting Actor (Lee Sung Min), and Best Supporting Actress (Yeom Hye Ran).

The New Actor category in film is generating its own conversation. Park Ji Hoon — formerly of Wanna One and now building a credible acting career — earns a nomination alongside Moon Sang Min, Ahn Hyo Seop, Yoo Lee Ha, and Cho You Hyun.

Variety, Musical, and the Historic New Category

The variety show category showcases the breadth of Korean entertainment beyond scripted drama. Best Variety nominees are MBC's "Extreme84", MBC's "The Wonder Coach", SBS's "The Ballad of Us", Coupang Play's "The White Collars 2," and Netflix's "Culinary Class Wars 2" — the sequel to the internationally viral cooking competition that became a global phenomenon. Its inclusion confirms that Korean unscripted content continues to rival its scripted counterparts in cultural impact.

The variety performer nominees are equally compelling. Best Male Variety contenders include Gwak Beom, Kian 84, Kim Won Hoon, Lee Seo Jin, and Choo Sung Hoon. For Best Female Variety, the nominees are Kim Yeon Kyung, Seol In Ah, Lee Su Ji, Jang Do Yeon, and Hong Jin Kyung.

Perhaps the most anticipated development of this year's ceremony is the debut of the Musical category. Five productions compete for the inaugural Best Musical prize: "The Longest Nights," "Laika," "ARANG," "RED HARE; JEOKTO," and "Man in Hanbok." The Best Theater nominees are "Last Interview," "A Mirror," "SAMMAEKYUNG," "End Wall," and "Jellyfish." The expansion reflects the committee's recognition of musical theater as a distinct and prestigious art form within the Korean entertainment landscape.

Fan Reaction and What the Nominations Tell Us

The online response to the nominees was swift and divided. Kim Yoo Jung's absence from the Best Actress list has dominated Korean entertainment communities, with fans citing her emotionally demanding, multi-layered performance in "Dear X" as among the year's finest dramatic work. Park Shin Hye's omission sparked similar sentiment, particularly given "Undercover Miss Hong" was one of the year's highest-rated cable dramas.

The dual nomination of Kim Go Eun and Park Ji Hyun from "You and Everything Else" drew a more complex reaction — admiration for the drama's double-headliner achievement mixed with concern that the shared fanbase might ultimately split the vote, benefitting competitors. It is genuinely rare for two leads from the same project to occupy the same acting category.

Lee Junho's nomination sparked celebration among his devoted fanbase, who see it as the definitive industry validation for a performer who has spent years building credibility as a serious dramatic actor. His journey from idol to award-nominated actor has become something of a template for a new generation of K-pop artists pursuing acting careers.

Son Ye Jin's return to the nominations stage after her extended break is also being read as a signal — both of her enduring talent and of the industry's willingness to celebrate performances on their merits regardless of the performer's public profile at the time.

As May 8 approaches, the competition is genuinely wide open across categories. Will Park Bo Young claim her first Baeksang acting trophy after years of acclaimed work? Can the "You and Everything Else" co-nominees avoid splitting the vote? Will "The King's Warden" convert its seven nominations into a sweep? And who will take home the very first Baeksang Best Musical trophy?

The 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards — with its historic host trio, newly expanded musical category, seven-nomination frontrunner, and the season's biggest snub controversies — is shaping up to be one of the most hotly anticipated ceremonies in recent memory.