![]() |
Song Kang-ho, winner of the Best Actor award for 'Broker,' poses for photographers during a photo call following the awards ceremony at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in southern France, May 28. AP-Yonhap |
Actor Song Kang-ho was named Best Actor at this year's Cannes Film Festival, Saturday, for his performance in the drama "Broker," becoming the first South Korean male actor to win an acting prize at the prestigious festival.
At the closing ceremony for the 75th edition of the festival held at Palais Lumiere in Cannes, Song took home the best actor prize for his role as a baby broker in the film written and directed by the Cannes-winning Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda.
![]() |
Song Kang-ho, centre, rises to receive the Best Actor award for 'Broker,' while being congratulated by director Hirokazu Kore-eda, left and Dong-won Gang during the awards ceremony of the 75th Cannes Film Festival in southern France, May 28. AP-Yonhap |
"I'm so grateful and honored. I would like to thank director Kore-eda, who is a great artist," Song said in an acceptance speech. "I also want to share this gratitude and honor with our cast members Kang Dong-won, Lee Ji-eun, Bae Doo-na and Lee Joo-young."
This is the first award Lee has earned at Cannes, although he has starred in several Cannes-winning titles, including Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" (2019) and Park Chan-wook's "Thirst" (2009).
![]() |
From left, Korean actresses Lee Joo-young and actress Lee Ji-Eun, and actors Song Kang-Ho and Gang Dong-Won arrive for the Closing Ceremony of the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in southern France, May 28. AFP-Yonhap |
He also became the first South Korean male actor to win an acting prize at Cannes. Jeon Do-yeon was awarded Best Actress for her role in the drama "Secret Sunshine" in 2007, in which Song also starred.
"Broker," Kore-eda's first Korean-language project, depicts the relationships of characters formed through a baby box, where people anonymously drop off newborns that they can't raise themselves.
Song plays Sang-hyun, who steals an unattended infant left by its parents at a baby box and sells it to parents who want a child. (Yonhap)