Korean drama series “When Life Gives You Tangerines,” currently streaming on Netflix, won big by taking home the Drama of the Year award and Best Director award. Its female lead, IU, also won the Daesang for her standout performance. Lee Jun-ho was among the night’s biggest winners, while Lee Chae-min won Best New Actor. Want to know who else took home the trophies? Read on for the highlights and complete list of winners from the 2025 SEOULCON APAN Star Awards.
The SEOULCON APAN Star Awards 2025 Winners
This year belonged to IU and her Netflix drama “When Life Gives You Tangerines”!
Korean drama “When Life Gives You Tangerines” won big with multiple top awards, including the Drama of the Yearand Best Director (for Kim Won‑seok). The wins proved that its heartfelt storytelling truly resonated with audiences. Meanwhile, IU became the third actress in APAN Star history to win the Grand Prize (Daesang) after Song Hye-kyo(2013) and Kim Tae-ri (2024), sparking tears and cheers across the hall.
It was also an unforgettable night for the charming idol-actor Lee Jun-ho. He won the Actor Popularity, Global Staraward, and Male Top Excellence (Mid‑Length) award for his latest K-drama “Typhoon Family.”
The acting categories celebrated range and depth. Veterans Ko Kyu‑pil and Yoon Kyung‑ho shared the Male Actingaward, while Kim Shin‑rok and Oh Nara took home the Female Acting award.
The new talent also stole the spotlight. Lee Chae‑min and Kang Yoo‑seok won the Best New Actor award, while Ha Young and Hong Hwa‑yeon earned the Best New Actress award.
The night also honored “extra” categories — from Best OST (“More Beautiful than Heaven” from “Heavenly Ever After”) to Best Couple (Chung Su‑bin and Lee Hyeri in “Friendly Rivalry”), and K-pop idol Cha Eun‑woo charmed the crowd with his Best Entertainer win.
Even the child actors had their moment. Kim Tae‑yeon and Lee Cheon‑mu earned big applause for their unforgettable performances in “When Life Gives You Tangerines.”
Full List of Nominees & Winners
Winners of the SEOULCON APAN Star Awards are in bold.
Daesang
IU – “When Life Gives You Tangerines”
Drama of the Year
“When Life Gives You Tangerines” (Netflix)
- “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” (tvN, Netflix)
- “Our Unwritten Seoul” (tvN, Netflix)
- “The Tale of Lady Ok” (JTBC)
- “You and Everything Else” (Netflix)
Best Director
Kim Won-seok – “When Life Gives You Tangerines”
- Jang Tae-yoo – “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty”
- Jo Young-min – “You and Everything Else”
- Lee Do-yoon – “The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call”
- Park Shin-woo – “Our Unwritten Seoul”
Best Screenwriter
Jang Hyun-sook – “Typhoon Family”
- Lee Kang – “Our Unwritten Seoul”
- Lim Sang-choon – “When Life Gives You Tangerines”
- Park Ji-sook – “The Tale of Lady Ok”
- Song Hye-jin – “You and Everything Else”
Male Top Excellence Award (Mid-Length Drama)
Lee Junho (“Typhoon Family”)
- Kim Nam Gil (“The Fiery Priest 2,” “Trigger”)
- Park Bo Gum (“Good Boy,” “When Life Gives You Tangerines”)
- Park Hyung Sik (“Buried Hearts”)
- Ju Ji Hoon (“The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call,” “Love Your Enemy”)
Female Top Excellence Award (Mid-Length Drama)
Cha Joo Young (“The Queen Who Crowns”)
- Kim Go Eun (“You and Everything Else”)
- Park Bo Young (“Our Unwritten Seoul”)
- IU (“When Life Gives You Tangerines”)
- Lim Yoona (“Bon Appétit, Your Majesty”)
Male Top Excellence Award (Long-Form Drama)
Son Chang Min (“Good Luck!”)
- Song Chang Eui (“Desperate Mrs. Seonju”)
- Ahn Jae Wook (“For Eagle Brothers”)
- Jung Il Woo (“Our Golden Days”)
- Hwang Dong Joo (“Marie and Her Three Daddies”)
Female Top Excellence Award (Long-Form Drama)
Park Ha Na (“My Merry Marriage”)
- Uhm Ji Won (“For Eagle Brothers”)
- Jang Shin Young (“The Woman Who Swallowed the Sun”)
- Han Groo (“Cinderella Game”)
- Hahm Eun Jung (“Queen’s House”)
Male Excellence Award (Mid-Length Drama)
Lee Jun Young (“When Life Gives You Tangerines,” “Pump Up the Healthy Love”)
- Park Hae Joon (“When Life Gives You Tangerines,” “Love, Take Two”)
- Yoo Yeon Seok (“When the Phone Rings”)
- Lee Jun Hyuk (“Love Scout,” “Mercy for None”)
- Choo Young Woo (“Head Over Heels,” “The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call”)
Female Excellence Award (Mid-Length Drama)
Shin Ye Eun (“The Murky Stream,” “A Hundred Memories”)
- Go Youn Jung (“Resident Playbook”)
- Park Ji Hyun (“You and Everything Else”)
- Yeom Jung Ah (“Love, Take Two,” “The Defects”)
- Jang Yoon Joo (“Ms. Incognito”)
Best New Actor
Kang You Seok (“Resident Playbook”)
Lee Chae Min (“Bon Appétit, Your Majesty,” “Crushology 101”)
- Kim Min Kyu (“BITCH X RICH 2,” “Love, Take Two”)
- Kim Yo Han (“The Winning Try”)
- Ryeoun (“Weak Hero Class 2,” “Namib”)
Best New Actress
Ha Young (“The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call,” “Face Me”)
Hong Hwa Yeon (“Buried Hearts,” “Tastefully Yours,” “I Am a Running Mate”)
- Bang Hyo Rin (“Aema”)
- Shin Sia (“Resident Playbook”)
- Yoon Seo Ah (“The Tale of Mrs. Ok,” “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty”)
Male Excellence Award (Long-Form Drama)
Kim Dong Wan (“For Eagle Brothers”)
- Park Sang Nam (“My Merry Marriage”)
- Seo Jun Young (“Queen’s House”)
- Seo Ha Joon (“The Woman Who Swallowed the Sun”)
- Yoon Hyun Min (“Our Golden Days”)
Female Excellence Award (Long-Form Drama)
Park Eun Hye (“Marie and Her Three Daddies”)
- Shim Yi Young (“Desperate Mrs. Seonju”)
- Lee Shi Ah (“A Graceful Liar”)
- Lee Tae Ran (“Our Golden Days”)
- Jung In Sun (“Our Golden Days”)
Best Short Drama or Web Drama Actor
Park Sung Woong (“A Head Coach’s Turnover”)
- Park Su Oh (“A Head Coach’s Turnover”)
- Jung Gun Joo (“2024 KBS Drama Special” – “the road in between”)
- Kim Ki Hyun (“No MZ for Old Men”)
- Lee Dong Gun (“Useless Love”)
- Cha Sun Woo (“He Is Back,” “Competition with me”)
- Cha Hak Yeon (“The Killer Next Door”)
Best Short Drama or Web Drama Actress
Park Ha Sun (“Useless Love,” “Psychopath Yeo Sun Jung”)
- Lee Soo Ji (“No MZ for Old Men”)
- Ha Ye Eun (“Gang Girl Goes to Boys’ High School”)
- Hyeri (“Friendly Rivalry”)
Male Acting Award
Ko Kyu Phil (“Genie, Make A Wish,” “Twelve”)
- Sung Dong Il (“Typhoon Family,” “The Art of Negotiation”)
- Yoon Kyung Ho (“The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call”)
- Lee Hae Young (“Buried Hearts”)
- Choi Dae Hoon (“When Life Gives You Tangerines,” “Shin’s Project”)
Female Acting Award
Oh Na Ra (“Villains Everywhere,” “The Nice Guy”)
Kim Shin Rok (“Undercover High School,” “Tastefully Yours”)
- Kang Ae Shim (“Squid Game 2,” Squid Game 3,” “Love, Take Two”)
- Yeom Hye Ran (“When Life Gives You Tangerines,” “Law and The City”)
- Won Mi Kyung (“Our Unwritten Seoul”)
Best Young Actor
Kim Tae Yeon (“When Life Gives You Tangerines”)
Lee Cheon Moo (“When Life Gives You Tangerines”)
- Kim Si Ah (“Walking On Thin Ice”)
- Moon Woo Jin (“My Dearest Nemesis”)
- Jo Dan (“Villains Everywhere”)
Best OST
“More Beautiful than Heaven” by Lim Young-woong for “Heavenly Ever After”
- “Unknown Life” by Young-tak for “Eagle Five Brothers”
- “Refresh” by Zhang Hao for “To The Moon”
- “As Before” by Jong Ho for “The Nice Guy”
- “Close to you” by Jin of BTS for “When the Stars Gossip.”
- “First Happiness” by Kim Tae Rae of ZEROBASEONE for “My Youth”
- “You Who I Met by Chance” by Kim Hee Jae for “Dog Knows Everything”
- “We Don’t Stop” by PLAVE for “The Fiery Priest 2”
- “Did You See The Rainbow?” by Lee Junho for “Typhoon Family”
- “START!” by Stray Kids’ members Lee Know, Seungmin, and I.N for “Resident Playbook.”
IDOL CHAMP Popular Actor
Lee Junho
- Byeon Woo Seok
- Choo Young Woo
- Ji Chang Wook
- Kim Seon Ho
- Kim Yohan
- Lee Chae Min
- Lee Jun Hyuk
- Park Seo Ham
- Seo In Guk
IDOL CHAMP Popular Actress
Kim Hye Yoon
- IU
- Kim Ji Won
- Kim Se Jeong
- Kim So Hyun
- Chung Su Bin
- Jung So Min
- Lee Se Young
- Lim YoonA
- Park Eun Bin
IDOL CHAMP Global Star Award
Lee Junho
- Byeon Woo Seok
- Choo Young Woo
- IU
- Kim Hye Yoon
- Lee Chae Min
- Lee Jun Hyuk
- Lim YoonA
- Park Bo Gum
- Yook Sung Jae
IDOL CHAMP Popular Couple
Hyeri & Chung Su Bin (“Friendly Rivalry”)
- Lim YoonA & Lee Chae Min in “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty”
- Yoo Yeon Seok & Chae Soo Bin in “When the Phone Rings”
- Choi Woo Shik & Jung So Min in “Would You Marry Me”
- Kim Woo Bin & Suzy in “Genie, Make a Wish”
- Park Bo Gum & Kim So Hyun in “Good Boy”
- Choo Young Woo & Cho Yi Hyun in “Head Over Heels”
- Han Ji Min & Lee Jun Hyuk in “Love Scout”
- Jeon Yeon Been & Jung Jin Young in “Ms. Incognito”
- Lee Junho & Kim Min Ha in “Typhoon Family”
IDOL CHAMP Best Entertainer
Cha Eun Woo
- Do Kyung Soo (EXO’s D.O.)
- Jisoo (BLACKPINK)
- Kim So Won
- Lee Hyeri
- Lee Junho (2PM)
- Lee Jun Young
- Park Bo Gum
- Park Jaechan (DKZ)
- Yunho (ATEEZ)
KS Autoplan Asia Star Award
Jin Young (“Our Unwritten Seoul”)
Chung Su-bin (“Friendly Rivalry”)
KS Autoplan Icon Award
Han Ji-eun
Global Influencer Award (Overseas)
DADA
HUIHUI
Global Influencer Award (South Korea)
KIMPRO
Yu Baekhap
Park Il-seo
Congratulations to all of the winners of the 2025 SEOULCON APAN Star Awards!
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