Lee Jung Jae became the first Korean actor to win Best Actor at the Critics Choice Awards.

Lee Jung Jae won the Best Actor in a Drama Series at the 27th American Critics' Choice Awards held on March 14.

On this day, through his agency Artist Company, Lee Jung Jae said, "Thanks to the Korean audiences who always support Korean movies and dramas, I was able to win this award."

The Critics' Choice Awards is an event hosted by the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) of the United States and is a meaningful awards ceremony that is considered one of the representative awards ceremonies in the United States. Not only did Lee Jung Jae receive the award for the first time as a Korean actor on that day, but he also showed off his witty appearance as a presenter with the actors who appeared in 'Squid Game' and lit up the awards ceremony.

Previously, Lee Jung Jae became the first Korean actor to win the Male Actor Award at the American Actors Guild Awards (SAG) and the Independent Spirit Awards, creating a sensation at the American awards ceremony.

In the Netflix series 'Squid Game', in the midst of a life crisis, Lee Jung Jae established himself as a global star through the role of Seong Gi Hoon, who receives a business card from a mysterious person and participates in the game

NewJeans' Minji touched fans' hearts with a handwritten letter on her birthday — even while the group is currently unable to promote due to legal issues.

On May 7, Minji celebrated her birthday by sharing a heartfelt message on the group’s personal SNS account, which the members opened themselves to stay connected with fans.

Minji began her letter with honesty, writing, “I think I’m living a busier life than I expected. When I finally looked up, it was already May, and it was my birthday.”

She admitted that she had a lot she wanted to say, but her thoughts felt “messy.” Still, her message to fans was clear, “I just hope that I, our members, and Bunnies can all be happy. Happiness is the biggest goal in my life.”

Minji then opened up about her personal journey and struggles, saying, “I sometimes think that running toward my happiness by doing what I love might look foolish to others. But isn’t giving up your happiness now for the sake of a future that might not even come… too harsh on yourself?”

Despite everything, she ended on a hopeful note, “I really miss the times when we shared our feelings through the good music we made together. But I always look forward to what’s ahead."

She added, "We didn’t stop here, and we’re not going to stop! It might look like we’re standing still, but I believe we’re growing deeper.”

Her message comes during a difficult time for NewJeans. The group announced last year that they were cutting ties with ADOR, their original agency, after trust was broken. They later began working independently under the new name ‘NJZ’.

However, ADOR responded with legal action — claiming the exclusive contract with NewJeans was still valid and asking the court to stop the group from promoting or signing deals.

The court sided with ADOR and granted an injunction, forcing NewJeans to pause their activities. Their appeal was rejected, and they’ve now filed a second appeal.

Through it all, Minji’s message proves one thing — even when forced to stop, NewJeans' hearts are still moving forward.

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