Song Joong-ki and Lee Jong-seok, proud acceptance speech

≪Choi Ji-ye's Epilogue≫
Ten Asia reporter Choi Ji-ye objectively and keenly points out events that have occurred throughout the entertainment industry every Tuesday. We carefully analyze the 'glitch' you missed from a reporter's perspective.

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The acceptance speech is noteworthy because you can hear the actors' honest stories. The actor who won the award directs from his own angle and writes the lines in his own language. A moment when the actor himself becomes the main character, and there is no direction from the director or script from the writer.

An actor's thoughts and sincere acceptance speech are even more special. Yoo Ah-in's stream-of-consciousness poem-like sentiment at the '2015 SBS Drama Awards' and Yoon Yeo-jeong's English acceptance speech to her two sons at the Oscars, "This trophy is the result of my mother's hard work," are still in the minds of many people. That's why it's stuck in.

Recently, the acceptance speeches that left a deep impression on the public were those of actors who fell in love. Actors Song Joong-ki and Lee Jong-seok included messages for their lovers in their acceptance speeches. The area of private life is also included in the list of people who need to express gratitude. Song Joong-ki and Lee Jong-seok, who have debuted well over 10 years ago, would not have known what kind of impact a single line in their speech would cause, but the reason they did not hide the existence of their lover was because 'expressing affection' for a precious person was more important than the public's gaze.

Song Joong-ki, who won the grand prize at the APAN Star Awards in October last year, briefly but clearly mentioned his lover as 'my beloved Katie'. Song Joong-ki, holding the trophy in his hand, talked about what the tvN drama 'Vincenzo' meant to him, and called the staff members by name one by one, saying, "Thank you for making me shine." Then, after calling the family members, they said the names of “our beloved Katie, Nala, Maya, and Antes.”

A few months later, Song Joong-ki acknowledged his romantic relationship with a woman of British nationality, and the industry believes that Katie in his acceptance speech is Song Joong-ki's lover. However, while Song Joong-ki seemed to confidently reveal the existence of a lover, he added to the confusion by selectively responding to pregnancy-marriage rumors that arose at the same time, saying, "It cannot be confirmed." From Song Joong-ki's point of view, it may be said that it is the best way to protect his lover, but because of this, rumors and speculations abound, and on the contrary, he causes unnecessary pain to his lover. This is why there is talk that Song Joong-ki, who used to be confident, made a 'U-turn' on the dating front.

Lee Jong-seok also revealed his love for his lover to the world through his acceptance speech. He received the name of the grand prize winner at MBC's '2022 Drama Awards' aired on the 31st and went on stage to pour out his feelings for 'him' without hesitation. Lee Jong-seok said, "After finishing my military service, I had a lot of worries, fears, and suffering, but there was someone who gave me good human direction and positive thoughts. I thank you for always being so cool, and I “I want to,” he said, pouring out his heart.

Because these were words that conveyed deep sincerity, the public's curiosity about who 'that person' was soared, and it was soon revealed that the main character was singer and actress IU. Accordingly, in an announcement to fans, Lee Jong-seok spoke in detail about the meaning of IU to him, saying, "IU, who had been friends for a long time, has developed into a romantic relationship." IU also responded by introducing Lee Jong-seok as a 'reliable and cute person' in a letter to her fans. Lee Jong-seok revealed his feelings for IU to the public and fans, showing himself as a true 'straight-forward' lover.

Song Joong-ki and Lee Jong-seok were proud to express their affection for their lovers when expressing their acceptance speeches, but their subsequent actions left a conflicting aftertaste. Regardless of the aftertaste, we root for a healthy and happy relationship between Song Joong-ki and Lee Jong-seok, who are in love. I look forward to seeing if their romance, which is in charge of directing and scripting, will have a happy ending.

Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr