Kim Jae-won Wins Best New Actor at Blue Dragon Series Awards for 'YUMI's Cells Season 3'

Actor Kim Jae-won is riding a career surge after taking home Best New Actor at this year's Blue Dragon Series Awards. His win came for his role in "YUMI's Cells Season 3," the latest chapter of TVING's popular original series based on the hit webtoon.

Kim received the drama category's Best New Actor prize at the 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards, held October 31 at Paradise City in Incheon. The ceremony honors the year's top work across Korean streaming and cable series.

"I want to thank everyone at Studio Dragon and TVING, along with director Lee Sang-yeob and writer Song Jae-jung," Kim said in his acceptance speech. He then turned to his co-star. "Thanks to Kim Go-eun, whom I loved and respected more than anyone during filming, I was able to learn so much and lean on her."

He also thanked his agency, his family and his fans. "I believe I'm standing here because of my fans. I'll work even harder," he said. "I know that winning this award as a newcomer doesn't make me perfect. I might stumble tomorrow, but I won't be afraid of that. I'll keep moving forward and try to become a better actor."

In "YUMI's Cells Season 3," Kim played Shin Soon-rok, a role fans praised for its close match to the original webtoon character. He brought a warm but grounded presence to the part, drawing strong reviews for his steady acting and careful emotional beats. His romance with Yumi, played by Kim Go-eun, became one of the season's central threads.

Kim first drew attention in 2022, playing the younger version of Cha Seung-won's character in tvN's "Our Blues." He built on that with a second male lead role in "King the Land," then landed a main role in the Netflix series "Hierarchy" alongside Roh Jeong-eui and Lee Chae-min. He also took a major part in JTBC's 2024 drama "Lady Ok" (Oksibujeon), though his name landed behind Lee Chae-min and Chu Young-woo in the credits for both projects.

"YUMI's Cells Season 3" marks a clear step up, pairing him in a lead romantic role with Kim Go-eun, one of Korea's most respected leading actors. He is now being considered as the main lead for two upcoming projects, "I'm Against My Own Romance" (Nado Bandaehaneun Naui Yeonae) and "A Wildflower Lives in the Palace" (Gung-eneun Gaekkochi Sanda), signaling his shift into leading-man territory.