Actress Youn Yuh-jung receives the Screen Icon Award at the Singapore International Film Festival 2025

In a night illuminated by the bold spirit of filmmaking, the 36th Singapore International Film Festival announced the winners of its 2025 Silver Screen Awards — reaffirming Southeast Asia as one of the world’s most dynamic filmmaking regions. Established in 1991 as the pioneering international competition dedicated to Asian cinema, the Silver Screen Awards have long served as a launching pad for directors who dare to push artistic and cultural boundaries.

Oscar-winning actress Youn Yuh-jung is a recognisable name nowadays due to her notable works including films Minari (2020) and The Wedding Banquet (2025) as well as drama series Pachinko (2022 - 2025), but there was a time when she accepted any acting role just to earn an income to raise her sons.

The 79-year-old South Korean was in Singapore on Dec 6 and 7 for the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), a part of Infocomm Media Development Authority's (IMDA) Singapore Media Festival, where she was presented with the Screen Icon Award.

At the festival, Youn Yuh-jung was presented with the Screen Icon Award.

Speaking to the media on Dec 7, Yuh-jung, who has close to 60 years of acting experience, shared she wasn't formally trained as an actress before entering showbiz in 1966.

She won Blue Dragon Film Awards' Best Actress and Best New Actress at Grand Bell Awards in 1971 for her first film Woman of Fire.