Actor Yoo Tae-oh Shares Emotional Acceptance Speech at MBC Entertainment Awards

During the live broadcast of the 2025 MBC Entertainment Awards on January 28, actor Yoo Tae-oh delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech after winning the Popularity Award in the reality category for his role in '태어난 김에 음악일주' (Born to Music Journey).

Yoo began by expressing his long-standing desire to star in a Western film, lamenting the historical absence of Korean actors in that genre. He shared, "I wanted to participate in a Western, but it has been difficult because historically, no Koreans have been cast in such roles." He also reflected on his initial hesitations about participating in variety shows due to past experiences during his early career, stating, "When I received the offer for a variety show, I was hesitant because I had been hurt in the past, but my spouse encouraged me to take the opportunity."

In a poignant moment, Yoo revealed that his father had passed away the previous month. Holding back tears, he reminisced about filming scenes with his co-stars, including 기안84 (Kian84) and 빠니 (Pani), where they rode horses under the stars, embodying cowboy life. He noted that the music and music video created from those experiences were the last memories his father saw of him. He expressed deep gratitude to PD Kim Ji-woo and the writers, as well as to MBC, saying, "Thank you so much."

The MBC Entertainment Awards, which began as a comedy awards show, celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. Originally scheduled for December 29, the event was postponed due to a tragic accident involving a Jeju Air passenger plane on the day of the ceremony. After a national mourning period, the production team decided to hold the event live on the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday.