[Sportschosun Jung Bit] The ceremony ended on a high note, but interest in the 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards (BSA) remains intense.
What drew attention was not just the trophies. It was also the stars' candid reactions captured by the broadcast cameras, along with another scene unfolding in the audience beyond the frame.
The Blue Dragon's true charm shone throughout the ceremony. Stars who enjoyed the stage with their whole bodies, and senior entertainers who celebrated a junior's win as if it were their own. Here is the behind-the-scenes story of Blue Dragon, visible only on site.
▶"I lost my mind when Tiger JK came out"...From Park Bo-young to Park Ji-hoon, the audience became part of the celebration stage
One of the stars who enjoyed the celebration performance more passionately than anyone else that day was Park Bo-young. During Tiger JK's finale stage, she shouted "Come on" and joined the singalong for "Ball it out," showing a surprising side that contrasted with her usual 'Bbo-bly' image.
The afterglow continued during her Weverse LIVE right after the ceremony. Park Bo-young, who played Tiger JK's "Monster" from the start, said, "I kept thinking about this song all the way home, so I listened to Tiger JK's music."
She also shared a behind-the-scenes story about recognizing Tiger JK first in the elevator, even though he was wearing a cap pulled low. Park Bo-young laughed, saying, "He usually wears a suit, but I recognized him right away because he had his cap pulled down. I was really looking forward to the celebration performance, and I spotted him first."
But once the stage began, the spoiler no longer mattered. As soon as the performance started, she reacted so enthusiastically that she said, "When Tiger JK appeared, I lost my mind." She also mentioned Kim Min-ha, Mijak Boys, and Choi Ye-na one by one, praising them with comments like, "They really blew the roof off," "I was so excited because I never thought I'd get to see them live," and "She was truly an idol from heaven."
Lee Eunji was another star who rocked the audience just as much as Park Bo-young did. Whether or not the camera was on her, she enjoyed the celebration performance with her whole body.
During Choi Ye-na's "Catch Catch" stage, she followed most of the choreography. She also went on stage with Tiger JK for "Angel" and helped create the viral memes "Skrrt" and "Grrr gang gang gang." Even after her own stage ended, she kept dancing in her seat with Kim Sook and Joo Woo-jae while Tiger JK's "Monster" continued to play.
In fact, Lee Eunji had already stood out with her cheerful presence from the beginning of the ceremony. When Mimi appeared as the presenter for the Rookie Female Entertainer Award and cheered for Oh My Girl member Arin's win, Lee kept shouting from the audience, "Mimi, mention me too. What about me, unnie?" drawing laughter from those around her.
Yoo Jae-suk also dropped his usual composure in front of the celebration performance. When Choi Ye-na's "Catch Catch" started playing, he followed the choreography on the spot and enjoyed the stage. When Tiger JK and Lee Eunji sang "Angel" and pointed the letter "Y" toward Yoo Jae-suk in the audience, he immediately caught the cue and reacted.
Tiger JK and Yoo Jae-suk once worked together in the project group Future Liger. After many years, they met again on the Blue Dragon stage and in the audience. Their brief exchange carried both warmth and nostalgia.
Park Ji-hoon also enjoyed the celebration performance with genuine enthusiasm. As the lead actor of Legendary Chef, which won the Best Work Award, he cheered the loudest when Mijak Boys appeared and responded to the stage with excitement.
He also showed his idol-star side. During Choi Ye-na's "NEMONEMO" stage, he diligently copied the square hand gesture, which was different from his signature "saved in my heart" pose. During "Catch Catch," he enthusiastically joined the challenge choreography. When Kim Jae-won and Choi Ye-na danced together, he nodded vigorously to the beat and fully enjoyed the moment. He also waved both hands and responded during Tiger JK's stage. He was, in every sense, a perfect example of a prince enjoying the new world.
Yoon Kyung-ho, Park Ji-hoon, Go Youn-jung, Kim Seon-ho, and Kim Gyu-won also sang along from the audience and enjoyed the celebration performances. Even when the cameras were not on them, they hummed along or applauded, staying focused on the stage. The audience was no longer just a place where stars waited for the results. It felt like another concert.
▶The dignity of senior entertainers shown by Shin Dong-yup and Yoo Jae-suk...Celebration over competition
If the celebration performances highlighted the stars' excitement, the award moments revealed the warm bond between seniors and juniors. Among them, the scene involving Kim Won-hoon and Shin Dong-yup was especially dramatic, like a scene from a drama.
When the Male Excellence Entertainer Award went to Joo Woo-jae, nominee Kim Won-hoon could not hide his disappointment. As he often says he prepares a reaction for not winning, his brief look of frustration was clearly visible.
Shin Dong-yup, who was sitting next to him, patted Kim Won-hoon's shoulder to comfort him. He reassured him that the Male Grand Prize for Entertainer was still ahead, as if to say everything would be fine. Before being a rival nominee, he was a senior who had led SNL Korea Season 8 together with him, and he first looked after the junior's feelings.
The long-awaited announcement for the Male Grand Prize for Entertainer followed. Last year's winner Kian84 looked shocked after checking the name on the award card, and first mentioned "SNL Korea Season 8" as the winning program.
Up to that point, Kim Won-hoon had expected Shin Dong-yup, not himself, to win. Since they were nominated together for the same program, he naturally assumed that the veteran Shin Dong-yup would be called.
But the winner announced next was Kim Won-hoon. As he froze in surprise at hearing his own name, the first person to jump up from his seat was Shin Dong-yup. He bounced with joy as if it were his own win and applauded louder than anyone else to celebrate his junior's first Blue Dragon trophy.
Yoo Jae-suk did not hold back his applause for the younger stars throughout the ceremony. He was the first to stand and clap for not only the fellow entertainers who were nominated with him, but also every winner walking up to the stage. He chose celebration over competition and made sure to put his juniors' moments ahead of his own results.
Above all, the warm senior-junior relationship between Yoo Jae-suk and Joo Woo-jae was evident at the moment of Joo Woo-jae's win. After being named Male Excellence Entertainer, Joo Woo-jae went straight to Yoo Jae-suk to express his thanks. In his acceptance speech, he also mentioned once again the 'humility advice' Yoo often emphasizes, showing his respect.
Even after the ceremony ended, Joo Woo-jae continued to thank Yoo Jae-suk. He kept expressing his gratitude to the senior who had guided him as an entertainer, both at the moment of the award and afterward.
In fact, Yoo Jae-suk was one of the recipients of the Popular Star Award that day. Since it is an award completed by public love, his habit of congratulating colleagues and juniors before himself throughout the ceremony once again showed why Yoo Jae-suk has long been one of Korea's most beloved entertainers. The applause and congratulations he offered before the trophies ultimately created yet another kind of popularity.
There was only one owner of each trophy, but the joy of those moments was never limited to just one person. There was no pride in enjoying the stage, and no rivalry in celebrating a colleague's win.
The Blue Dragon's true scene, warmer and more passionate than what the cameras captured, was created all across the audience.
Reporter Jung Bit rightlight@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
