'Doubt' actor Han Suk-kyu honors Jeju Air crash victims in awards speech

By KTimes

Actor Han Suk-kyu replaced his acceptance speech for the Grand Prize at the "2024 MBC Drama Awards" on Sunday with a heartfelt tribute to the victims of the Jeju Air disaster, which claimed 179 lives.

Honored for his performance in the drama “Doubt,” Han expressed his sorrow, saying, “Like myself, I’m sure the audience and fellow actors here feel the same. Holding an event like this in the wake of such a tragedy makes me feel apologetic and deeply regretful.”

He added, “As actors, everything we do is for our audience. But such a devastating tragedy has occurred, and it truly breaks my heart. My only concern as an actor is how to genuinely and honestly convey my emotions to the audience. To the families and loved ones affected by this immense loss, I offer my sincerest condolences.”

Reflecting on his drama, Han said, “The central theme of my work has always been family. It was with that in mind that I took on ‘Doubt,’ hoping to highlight the importance of family.” Pausing briefly as emotion overcame him, he added, “I wanted to tell a story about family…” his voice faltering.

The atmosphere in the venue turned solemn as Han’s tribute resonated with the audience. Some actors were seen in tears. Han, with a trembling voice, concluded, “May you overcome this great sorrow…” before softly apologizing and leaving the stage.

Public reaction

Netizens praised Han’s sincerity and poise, with comments like, “Delivering a condolence message for those grieving the loss of their family must have been overwhelming for him,” and, “His gesture of replacing gratitude with mourning shows true class.”

Others noted Han’s depth of empathy, saying, “Actors who understand human sorrow bring a different level of emotion to their craft.”

Han’s connection to tragedy adds further weight to his words. In 1997, he lost his college senior and mentor, voice actor Jang Se-jun, in the Korean Air crash in Guam, which claimed 225 of the 254 passengers onboard.

Jang, who famously voiced characters like Seo Tae-woong in “Slam Dunk” and Jackie Chan in Korean dubs, had advised Han to pursue acting instead of voice work.

The drama “Doubt” follows profiler Jang Tae-soo (played by Han) as he investigates a case that leads him to suspect his own daughter. The series marked Han’s return to an MBC drama after 29 years, drawing significant attention.

Although the awards ceremony was held on Dec. 30 at the MBC Public Hall in Mapo, Seoul, its broadcast was postponed to Jan. 5 in light of the national mourning period for the Jeju Air disaster, which lasted until Jan. 4.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.