In 2017, thanks to the low-budget film “Anarchist from Colony”, actress Choi Hee-seo received two major awards at the Grand Bell Awards: Best New Actress and Best Actress, despite being nominated for the first time.
Overwhelmed with joy and honor, Choi Hee-seo shared during her acceptance speech:
“I don’t think I’ll ever have the chance to stay here again, so my speech might be a little long.”
Encouraging her, MC Shin Hyun-joon reassured the young actress: “Feel free to say whatever you want to say. Everything is fine.”
However, as Choi Hee-seo shared her thoughts, staff voices could be heard backstage criticizing and berating her:
“Who does he think he is?”
“It’s like we have to stay here all night because of him. Who does he think he is?”
“For the love of God, stop already!”
“It’s driving me crazy.”
Even when the camera panned to director Lee Joon-ik, who directed “Anarchist from Colony,” offensive comments could be heard: “Lee Joon-ik is sitting in the audience. The bald guy in the back, is that him?”
Event attendees and hundreds of thousands of viewers were shocked by the profane remarks broadcast live. Netizens fiercely criticized TV Chosun staff for their disrespect towards the artist.
However, Chosun TV did not issue an apology to those who experienced disrespectful comments. Instead, they simply deleted the clip containing the background noise and replaced it with an edited version. The network offered a vague explanation:
“We use various live broadcast equipment to provide these video clips. It seems that the background noise was picked up accidentally.”
According to Naver, this embarrassing live incident reflects the television staff’s blatant contempt towards the actress. Previously, the Grand Bell Awards also faced backlash for announcing: “If the winner is not present at the ceremony, the prize will be given to someone else.” Due to disorganized management and recurring controversies, the reputation of this once prestigious awards show has steadily declined in the eyes of the public.
Born in 1987, Choi Hee-seo began her acting career in 2012. She grew up with a deep passion for the arts. He continued his studies at Yonsei University, majoring in Life Sciences and Biotechnology, a surprising choice considering his later career in acting. However, Choi’s love for acting led her to study further at the Korea National University of Arts, where she trained in film and theater, preparing for a serious career in the entertainment industry.
She is known for her work in productions such as “The Asian Angel”, “Stranger 2”, “Big Forest”, “Mistress” and “Now, We Are Breaking Up”. In addition to her television work, Choi Hee-seo has also made a name for herself in high-quality artistic films such as “Okja”, “How to Break up with My Cat”, “Anarchist from Colony”, “Deliver Us From Evil” and “Our body”.
