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Koo Kyo-hwan Wins Best New Actor At 58th Baeksang Awards For Role In D.P. 

Koo Kyo-hwan wins Best New Actor at 58th Baeksang Awards


2021 was an eventful year for the Korean entertainment industry as it was brimming with budding actors of high calibre. This was exemplified by Koo Kyo-hwan, the actor in the Netflix series D.P., who has just won the Best New Actor award at the 58th Baeksang Awards.

The award ceremony was hosted by actor Park Bo-gum, actress Bae Suzy, and comedian Shin Dong-yup.


Nominated for his role in D.P.


Best New Actor 58th Baeksang - koo kyo-hwan
Image credit: Netflix 

Koo Kyo-hwan was nominated for his role in D.P., a Netflix series based on the Korean webtoon titled D.P Dog Day.

D.P. reveals the ugly side and harsh reality of the Korean military. The drama follows Han Ho-yeol, played by Koo Kyo-hwan, and Ahn Joon-ho, played by Jung Hae-in, in their pursuit of soldiers who abandoned the military with no prior notice.

Koo Kyo-hwan took on the role of Han Ho-yeol, who appears to be a happy-go-lucky soldier at first blush. 

But in reality, Ho-yeol is not only a competent soldier who shoulders his responsibilities and duties to the best of his ability, but also a sympathetic and thoughtful individual.  


Intense competition for the Best New Actor award 


Best New Actor 58th Baeksang - the nominees
Images adapted from: @t_js0813, @_choiiii__, Netflix and Netflix

It goes without saying that Koo Kyo-hwan was up against fierce competition for the Best New Actor award. The nominees were as follows: 

  • Koo Kyo-hwan in D.P.
  • Shin Seung-ho in D.P.
  • Yoo In-soo in All Of Us Are Dead
  • Choi Hyun-wook in Twenty Five Twenty One
  • Tang Jun-sang in Racket Boys

Best New Actor 58th Baeksang - Shin Seung-ho in DP
Image credit: Netflix 

Shin Seung-ho was also nominated for his role in D.P. He took on the role of a bully named Hwang Jang-soo, who made the lives of some soldiers extremely difficult in the military.

Not only did he torture the soldiers physically, but he tormented them emotionally by hurling vulgarities and constantly preying on them.

Best New Actor 58th Baeksang - Yoo In-soo from all of us are dead
Image credit: Netflix 

Yoo In-soo was nominated for his role in All Of Us Are Dead, a zombie apocalypse series that took the world by storm at the beginning of 2022. He took on the role of Yoon Gwi Nam, an obnoxious bully who has no regard for those around him. 

The drama follows a group of high school students confined to their school building following a zombie apocalypse. Although they do everything they can to make it out alive, they experience the most tragic losses and touching moments during their fight for survival.

Best New Actor 58th Baeksang - Choi Hyun-wook from twenty five twenty one
Image credit: @_choiiii__

Choi Hyun-wook was nominated for his role in Twenty Five Twenty One, and he took on the role of Moon Ji-woong.

The nostalgic drama revolves around the themes of dreams, love, friendship, and loss. Twenty Five Twenty One is set during the Asian Financial Crisis, a time when the dreams of many youths collapsed and crumbled into pieces.

Choi Hyun-wook, who played Moon Ji-woong, was portrayed as the most popular boy in high school.

Best New Actor 58th Baeksang - Tang Jun-sang from racket boys
Image credit: @t_js0813

Finally, Tang Jun-sang was nominated for his role in Racket Boys. He played Yoon Hae-kang, a badminton prodigy who faces an unprecedented family crisis.

The heartwarming drama follows the growth and challenges of a group of middle school students. 

As they chase their dreams to become the best badminton players, they undergo all kinds of events that force them to stretch to their limits. But more importantly, they eventually learn to be the best version of themselves.


Koo Kyo-hwan awarded the Best New Actor at 58th Baeksang Awards


Congratulations to Koo Kyo-hwan, the winner of the Best New Actor award at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards! We believe that this is just the beginning of his successful acting career, and we anticipate his upcoming projects with an eager heart. 

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Cover image adapted from: Namoo Actors