South Korea’s First Ever Golden Globe Award Secured by “Squid Game” Actor O Yeong-su

Photo: NBC

Viewers from around the world might have to rejoice again as a “Squid Game” star claims a global award. 

On Sunday, January 9, Actor O Yeong-su snatched South Korea’s first ever Golden Globe Award for his character in the worldwide hit Netflix drama “Squid Game.” Despite the backlash for ceremony organizers regarding the organization’s lack of diversity, this brought celebration to the country and overseas. 

“I feel like I’m floating on air. It makes me think, ‘I need to calm down, organize my thoughts, and hold myself back right now,’” O remarked on Korean television following the announcement of his award. “It’s hard for me to handle the volume of calls and messages I’ve been receiving.”

The 77-year-old actor received this award over his part as Oh Il-Nam, an elderly who joins the game later to be discovered as the real mastermind of the whole contest. He bested “The Morning Show”’s Billy Crudup and “Succession”’s Kieran Culkin. 

O’s win emanated following Youn Yu-jung’s acquisition last year to be the first South Korean to secure an Oscar. She won as the best supporting actress for her portrayal of Soonja, the grandmother of the family, in the immigrant movie “Minari.” 

The “Squid Game” hit came as a shock for Netflix following its release in September of 2021. It became the streaming platform’s most extensive non-English show ever. 

The suspenseful drama consists of stories about individuals who’ll risk everything to redeem themselves from debts and crimes. It follows a man who gets an offer from a stranger to play in a contest in exchange for money, which will then solve his problems. Little did they know that the game possesses deadly consequences. 

Oh Il-Nam, as stated above, is an elder man who plays as Player 001. The players see him as a seemingly defenseless man with a brain tumor that affects his memory. He was later unveiled to be the real mastermind of the game. 

O, born in 1944 in Kaepung, presently a North Korean border town, is deemed to be one of South Korea’s prominent theater actors. Since 1963, he has appeared in over 200 stage productions and has obtained numerous major awards.