Entertainment News

[Anchor Lead]

Here's the latest news from the world of culture. Actress Kim Min-hee has won the prestigious Blue Dragon award after coming under fire for her affair with a married filmmaker. And a painting by artist Kim Whan-ki has set a new auction price record among Korean artworks.

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The 37th Blue Dragon Awards brought together Korea's top movie stars. Competition for the Best Lead Actress award, a highlight of the ceremony, was especially fierce among highly recognized nominees lauded by both viewers and the jury. The award went to actress Kim Min-hee. Kim has been out of the public eye since a scandal erupted over her affair with director Hong Sang-soo, and did not attend the ceremony, but she made headlines yet again by winning the prestigious award. While some say she deserves the award for her excellent acting skills, others argue that she has become an embarrassment for causing the scandal. This painting by artist Kim Whan-ki has been put up for auction at Seoul Auction's latest Hong Kong sale. It had drawn attention even before it was presented, as it stands more than two meters tall, features a rare yellow color and was drawn during the New York period of the artist's career, widely considered his best. The painting has been sold for 41.5 million Hong Kong dollars, or 5.3 million U.S. dollars, surpassing the estimated price. That's the highest auction price to be recorded by a Korean artwork thus far. The previous record was set by another Kim Whanki painting back in June. As such, the five most expensive Korean artworks sold at domestic and overseas auctions were all created by Kim Whan-ki.