As a dedicated cinephile, securing tickets for the 36th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) was a thrilling challenge. The anticipated screenings from the intense Asian Feature Film Competition to the local spotlight of the Singapore Panorama were quickly snapped up. Yet, I found my moment of triumph, leveraging on the exclusive Culture Pass perk and secured a seat for the highly coveted dialogue session with the SGIFF Screen Icon Award recipient, Youn Yuh-jung. In the rush of sold-out shows, this small victory was genuinely exciting, defining the chaotic elegance of the festival experience.

Securing a front-row seat, I was privileged to witness a conversation with one of South Korea’s most influential and the first Korean actress to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

It was an intimate and unforgettable experience, hearing her speak candidly about her journey as an emerging star in the challenging landscape of 1960s cinema.

Youn Yuh-jung’s television and film career was purely serendipitous. It began during a TV station tour when she was spontaneously asked to read a monologue. Despite lacking formal training, she succeeded on her own terms. Her commitment to a character’s persona was later perfectly exemplified when she accepted the pivotal grandmother role or Soonja in the Oscar-winning film, Minari.

After reading the script for Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari, she asked her friend, “Is it based on a true story?” Upon confirmation, she agreed. She meticulously studied the script and even flew her close Korean American friend in the film business to Oklahoma to translate the script accurately. This practice was also evident in her recent film, The Wedding Banquet.

Beyond her professional rigor, Youn Yuh-jung credits her two sons as her motivation. She explained, with her signature wit, that her love for them was the driving force behind her hard work to succeed both in Korea and globally.

Reflecting, she shared the powerful sentiment that in Korea, “love is sacrifice,” contrasting it with the Western focus on romantic love. Now that her sons are adults, she desires to live in “luxury.” For her, this true luxury is the freedom to choose her projects; selecting directors, screenplays, and schedules that suit her.

I am eagerly awaiting her upcoming projects, particularly the highly anticipated Netflix series, Beef Season 2. For this role, she is confirmed to play a Korean billionaire owner of an elitist country club, a character she explained, will have a husband who is 20 years younger.