7 Korean Celebrities Voted 2023’s “Worst Actors” By Movie Biz Insiders

The South Korean media outlet Sports Kyunghyang has been holding an annual “Sanddalki (Raspberry) Awards” since 2017, similar to the American “Golden Raspberry Awards,” which honors the worst of  cinematic “failures.”

As usual, the 7th Sanddalki Awards named the worst of Korean cinema in three categories: the worst-mannered celebrities, the worst actors, and the worst movies of the year, picked by 55 film reporters from leading domestic media outlets.

This year, seven actors bagged the award for being the nation’s “Worst Actors.”

1. Han Hyo Joo

| Sports Kyunghyang

Han Hyo Joo received 17 votes for her role of Big Knife in Believer 2. A voter mentioned that her acting skills in the movie were a “waste of her experience.”

Other reporter comments included:

• “I almost gave up several times because of the lack of any attractive charm.“
• “The goodwill gained through the Disney+ ‘Moving’ character was lost with the worst character interpretation in Believer 2.”
• “Does a character become strong if you just give it physical strength?”

2. Ha Jung Woo

| Sports Kyunghyang

Actor Ha Jung Woo received 11 votes based on his performance in the movie Road to Bostin, released in September. It also starred Im Siwan, Bae Sung Woo, and Kim Sang Ho. The reporters who voted for Ha mentioned that his acting seemed too stiff and a lack of any character interpretation.

• “No matter how look at it, it’s just Ha Jung Woo.”
• “I have seen enough of Mannerism acting.”
• “When will the transition period of his lifeless acting end? I miss the Ha Jung Woo from The Chaser.”

3. Yura

| Hancinema

Idol-turned-actress Yura bagged the third position with 10 votes for her lead role in the movie Marrying the Mafia: Returns. A reporter stated that she is not good enough for a lead role, labeling her expressions as exaggerated and inadequate.

Here are some more of the reporter comments:

• “I can’t forget her bizarre expression of astonishment.”
• “The same facial expressions and exaggerated tone throughout the movie, comic scenes where you don’t even know what to laugh at. Though I like the actor, it was disappointing.”

4. Park Sung Woong

| Sports Kyunghyang

Oark Sung Woong received six votes from the reporters for his performance in all the five movies he starred in this year. Some of the comments from the voters include:

• “This year he did 5 movies but 0 of them is memorable.”
• “I wish he had acted at par with his appearance fee.”

5. Park Seo Joon, Go Ara, Kim Hye Soo

(From left to right) Go Ara, Park Seo Joon, and Kim Hye Soo | Sports Kyunghyang

Park Seo Joon, Go Ara, and Kim Hye Soo received five votes each, all ranking at the fifth position on the list. Go Ara was criticized for her typecasted performance in The Childe, while Kim Hye Soo’s acting in Smugglers was decribed as disappointing for someone of her experience and stature in the industry. Park Seo Joon was also criticized for a lack of range in his performance in Concrete Utopia.