Korean actor Byeon Woo-seok of “Lovely Runner” and the hit drama “Queen of Tears” won the grand prizes at The FUNdex Awards 2024 held in South Korea on Dec. 19.
The FUNdex Awards, hosted by analytics company Good Data Corp., aimed to recognize outstanding TV and OTT programs and performers.
For programs, the selection was based on 105 original Korean dramas on TV and OTT that were released in 2024, and 424 original non-drama (entertainment, current affairs and educational information) and OTT shows.
For the performers, the selection was based on 2,779 actors who appeared on TV and OTT dramas this year, and 14,883 individuals who appeared on non-drama shows on TV and OTT this year.
The selection method was based on a comprehensive compilation of data verified through surveys conducted over the past year, such as topicality surveys, search response surveys, FUNdex index, and the number of times the performer entered the to[ 10 topicality survey.
Byeon Woo-seok won two awards at the FUNdex Awards 2024: the grand prize for the performer category and Best Actor of TV Drama for “Lovely Runner.”
Byeon Woo-seok (Instagram)
He was unable to attend the ceremony but said in a video, "I remember the happy times that ‘Lovely Runner’ received from many people while it was airing. Thanks to the support of many people, I was able to win the best actor award in the TV Drama male category. I sincerely thank you.”
“Queen of Tears,” which starred Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won, won the grand prize in the show category and Best of TV Drama.
Kim Ji-won and Kim Soo-hyun in "Queen of Tears" (tvN)
Here are the winners at The FUNdex Awards 2024:
Work/show Category
Grand Prize - “Queen of Tears” (tvN)
Best of TV Drama - “Queen of Tears” (tvN)
Best of OTT Original Drama - “A Killer Paradox” (Netflix)
Best of Steady TV Show - “I am SOLO” (ENA-SBS Plus)
Best of Seasonal/Mini TV Show - “Love Siblings” (JTBC, Wavve)
Best of Music/Dance TV Show - “The King of Active Singers” (MBN)
Best TV Program of Current Affairs - Unanswered Questions (SBS)
Best TV Program of Culture/Information - The Story of the Day When the Tail Was Bitten (SBS)
Best of OTT Original Show - Culinary Class Wars (Netflix)
The winning Korean shows (Photos from FUNdex)
Performer Category
Grand Prize - Byeon Woo-seok, “Lovely Runner” (tvN)
Best Actor of TV Drama - Byeon Woo-seok, “Lovely Runner” (tvN)
Best Actress of TV Drama - Kim Ji-won, “Queen of Tears” (tvN)
Best Actor of OTT Original Drama - Lee Min-ho, “Pachinko” season 2 (Apple TV+)
Best Actress of OTT Original Drama - Jang Da-ah, “Pyramid Game” (TVING)
Best Supporting Actor of TV Drama - Shin Ye-eun, “Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born” (tvN)
Best Supporting Actor of OTT Original Drama - Jung Eun-chae, “Pachinko” season 2 (Apple TV+)
Best Player of Steady TV Show - Ryu Soo-young, “Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant” (KBS2)
Best Player of Seasonal/Mini TV Show - Park Jae-hyung, “Love Siblings” (JTBC, Wavve)
Best Player of TV Music/Dance Show - Jeon Yu-jin, “The King of Active Singers” (MBN)
Best Player of OTT Original Show - Paik Jongwon, “Culinary Class Wars” (Netflix)
The winners (Photos from FUNdex)