MBC Drama 'Judge Lee Han-young' Takes Top Drama Honor at 2025 Korean Broadcasting Awards

The Korea Broadcasters Association revealed the winners of the 53rd Korean Broadcasting Awards on July 30, naming 30 programs and 15 individuals across a wide range of broadcast categories. MBC's legal drama Judge Lee Han-young claimed the top prize in the drama division, one of the night's most closely watched categories.

On the entertainment side, SBS's Our Ballad and MBC's Rookie Director Kim Yeon-kyung each took program awards in the variety and entertainment TV division. It's a notably warm result for Rookie Director Kim Yeon-kyung, a show that has built a quiet but devoted viewership by putting a spotlight on an emerging creative voice in Korean film.

Beyond entertainment, the awards covered the full breadth of Korean terrestrial broadcasting. EBS's Pioneer Series, part of the longstanding Space Gongam cultural arts program, won in the culture and arts education category. In news reporting, SBS's investigative series Tracing the Reality of Kim Bum-seok's Kingdom, Coupang was recognized in the news coverage division, while KBS's Tracking 60 Minutes: Korea's Solitary Deaths, a 10-Year Record earned the current affairs reporting award, a documentary subject that has drawn sustained public attention in South Korea.

Among the 15 individual award recipients, comedian Jung Sun-hee (SBS's TV Animal Farm) won in the narration category, producer Park Yu-rim (EBS's Ding Dong Daeng) took the producer prize, and announcer Lee Sook-young (SBS's Lee Sook-young's Love FM) was named best host.

Five categories remain undecided: best actor, best actress, best male entertainer, best female entertainer, and best singer. Public voting is currently open, with final results to be announced on August 5. The full awards ceremony, where the grand prize (daesang) will be revealed, is scheduled for September 3.

The Korean Broadcasting Awards have been presented annually by the Korea Broadcasters Association since 1973, with the ceremony traditionally held on Broadcasting Day. The awards recognize programs and broadcasters that uphold the public-interest values distinctive to terrestrial broadcasting, a mission that feels increasingly pointed as streaming platforms continue to reshape the Korean media landscape.