Shin Se Kyung’s victory at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards has unexpectedly turned into one of the ceremony’s biggest controversies, with online debate continuing to intensify days after the event.

The actress won the “Best Supporting Actress” award in the film category for her performance in Humint during the May 8 ceremony. She competed against a lineup many viewers considered especially strong, including Shin Hyun Bin for The Ugly, Yeom Hye Ran for No Other Choice, Jang Hye Jin for The World of Love, and Jeon Mi Do for The King’s Warden.

Almost immediately after the award was announced, Korean online communities began debating the result. Some viewers questioned whether Shin Se Kyung’s performance in Humint was stronger than the performances delivered by the other nominees, particularly Yeom Hye Ran, who many had predicted would win the category.

The controversy quickly escalated due to several comments made on stage throughout the ceremony that repeatedly referenced Yeom Hye Ran’s loss.

While accepting the “Best Supporting Actor” award, Lee Sung Min mentioned that he had been nervous while waiting for the supporting actress category because Yeom Hye Ran had also been nominated. He then joked that he had “cursed to himself” after she lost the award.

Later in the night, Yeom Hye Ran herself returned to the stage as a presenter and jokingly introduced herself by saying, “Yeom Hye Ran, who just lost.”

The situation drew even more attention when acclaimed director Park Chan Wook accepted the “Best Film” award for No Other Choice. During his speech, he thanked the judges and commented that the results reassured him the judging process had been fair. He then added, “Yeom Hye Ran may not agree, but please understand. Shin Se Kyung did well, too.”

Although the comments appeared intended as lighthearted jokes, many viewers online felt the repeated references created an uncomfortable atmosphere for Shin Se Kyung, who had just won the award.

Several Korean netizens criticized the No Other Choice team for continuing to bring attention back to Yeom Hye Ran after the category had already concluded. Some argued that the repeated jokes indirectly undermined Shin Se Kyung’s victory in front of the audience.

Comments online included reactions such as, “Did they really need to say that publicly?” and “Shin Se Kyung must have felt so awkward sitting there listening to that.”

Others went further, accusing the team of acting “snobbish” and behaving as though Yeom Hye Ran had been guaranteed the award beforehand.

One viral comment read, “It stops being a joke when someone else is clearly being made uncomfortable.”

Another wrote, “The entire team kept bringing it up so many times that it no longer felt harmless.”

However, not everyone agreed with the backlash. Many viewers defended the speeches and argued that the audience was overanalyzing casual jokes made during a live event. Supporters of the No Other Choice team said the comments reflected affection and disappointment for Yeom Hye Ran rather than hostility toward Shin Se Kyung.

Some fans also argued that Park Chan Wook specifically acknowledged Shin Se Kyung’s performance positively during his speech and likely intended to reduce tension, not create controversy.

As a result, the conversation surrounding the ceremony has now evolved into two separate debates: whether Shin Se Kyung’s win itself was deserved, and whether the repeated on-stage mentions of Yeom Hye Ran’s loss crossed the line from playful banter into unnecessary discomfort.

Regardless of where viewers stand, Shin Se Kyung’s Baeksang victory has become one of the most heavily discussed moments following this year’s awards ceremony, with debate continuing to spread across Korean online communities and social media.