Lee Jung-jae Becomes First Korean To Receive The Prestigious Chaplin Award Asia

South Korean actor Lee Jung-jae received the prestigious Charlie Chaplin Award Asia at a ceremony held in Singapore on Friday (October 3). As per reports, the news was announced by his agency Artist Company on Saturday. Jung-jae scripted history by becoming the first Korean actor to receive the honour.

The Chaplin Award, presented annually by the Film at Lincoln Center (FLC) in New York, was established in 1972 to recognise significant contributions to global cinema and is one of the most prestigious lifetime achievement awards in the film industry. The Asia category was introduced in 2018, where one recipient is selected each year. Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Chinese director Zhang Yimou are the other Asian recipients.

Lee Jung-jae on receiving the Chaplin Award Asia

According to Tatler Asia, while expressing his gratitude, the Squid Game actor said on stage via a translator, "Receiving the Chaplin Award makes me even more nervous and I certainly feel the weight of this award—even compared to receiving the Emmy Award. It’s a strange mixture of feelings because Mr Chaplin is someone I have deep respect for and deeply love. He was an amazing artist and fellow filmmaker. Having received this award in Singapore is such a meaningful occasion for me."

"I’d like to thank all the guests who have shown me the warm welcome in Singapore, if you would like to have more photos with me later—please come by and I’ll take them with you!," he added.

Lee rose to fame with Netflix's Squid Game. Acolyte, Star Wars are some of his other works. He will be next seen in Prime Video's Nice to Not Meet You, a rom-com series, which also stars The Glory actress Lim Ji-yeon.

Lee won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the 2022 Emmy Awards for his role in Squid Game.