Leech had carved its name into Cannes history by winning both the Palme d'Or and Best Actor. Even while Kang Woojin was still in the middle of the Cannes after-party, news of the festival's unprecedented outcome spread across the world at frightening speed.
From France to Japan, to Hollywood, and far beyond.
It all happened almost simultaneously.
In nearly every country that had taken part in this year's Cannes Film Festival, the same uproar broke out. The media always turned noisy once a world-class film festival came to an end, but this time the commotion was on a completely different scale. There were too many talking points, too many controversies, and above all, too many firsts.
[The 74th Cannes Film Festival comes to a close! Director Ahn Ga-bok wins the Palme d'Or, Kang Woojin wins Best Actor, Korean cinema drops a bomb on Cannes]
Breaking a practice that had lasted for over twenty years, Cannes awarded two major prizes to a single film. It was the first time in Korean film history that a movie had won both the Palme d'Or and Best Actor. Kang Woojin, only in his second year since debut, delivered his acceptance speech while translating it himself in near-native French, and even declared his intention to advance into Hollywood.
It was only natural that the global film industry would turn its eyes toward an event that had caused such a shockwave. Photos of director Ahn Ga-bok and Kang Woojin spread around the world. Kang Woojin's face, in particular, sent his international recognition soaring, pushing him to a level that bordered on the extreme. His remarks about the Academy Awards were not something anyone could afford to dismiss lightly.
And on top of that—
[Kang Woojin collaborates with Miley Cara, whose new album will be released on the 12th]
[Korean actor and Cannes Best Actor winner Kang Woojin participates in Miley Cara's album]
As Woojin's popularity rose, promotion for Miley Cara's new album, set to release in two days, gained momentum as well. Cara alone already had enough star power to dominate headlines, but now that influence had effectively doubled.
Even in the middle of all that chaos, however, Kang Woojin had no time to care about any of it.
He was completely drained by the Cannes after-party.
Buzz. Buzz.
His phone would not stop vibrating. Messages, chats, DMs, congratulations poured in without pause. But Kang Woojin, dressed in a white tuxedo, felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of it all.
'Ugh.'
On the outside, he kept a calm face as he shook hands with global heavyweights.
Inside, though, all he could think was:
'I want to go back to the hotel.'
He deeply regretted not bringing a script or a scenario with him.
Meanwhile, back in Korea, countless reports had already been pouring in since dawn, but now that most people were awake, the frenzy had multiplied several times over.
This was the kind of thing being broadcast on nearly every news channel in the country.
Leech has become the first Korean film ever to win both the Palme d'Or and Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival. Director Ahn Ga-bok achieved this milestone with his hundredth film, and actor Kang Woojin has taken the world by storm just two years after his debut. Notably, this year's Cannes even broke its long-held practice to hold a special screening for Leech. For more details, let us go to overseas correspondent Song Jeong-min.
Radios in commuter cars, smartphones in buses and subways, major portal sites, online communities—everywhere was flooded with the names Leech, Kang Woojin, and director Ahn Ga-bok. Articles were updated by the second, and video platforms, especially YouTube, were overflowing with Cannes-related clips.
[Kang Woojin writes new history at Cannes!!! | MovieBuffDaily]
[[Subtitles] Actor Kang Woojin's Best Actor acceptance speech and highlight clips from the 74th Cannes Film Festival | NewsGirl]
[First Korean film to win both the Palme d'Or and Best Actor! Highlights of this year's Cannes Film Festival | IssueMonsterS]
[Kang Woojin gave his acceptance speech in near-native French? How is his French that fluent?! | MovieTimes]
[Leech wins the Palme d'Or (feat. Kang Woojin translating) | CrazyReporter]
[Actor Kang Woojin wins Best Actor at Cannes just two years after debut!! [Live footage] | MovieExplainer]
The fever continued through the morning, through lunch, and even late into the afternoon. If anything, it only grew stronger with every passing hour. Everywhere people went, no matter where they turned, they were talking about Ahn Ga-bok and Kang Woojin. The press, public opinion, the entertainment industry, corporations, even the government—not a single sector had a moment of silence.
[Top actors post congratulatory messages to director Ahn Ga-bok and Kang Woojin on social media! It is becoming a trend!]
[The President sends congratulatory messages to Cannes winners director Ahn Ga-bok and actor Kang Woojin… "The two of you have achieved a remarkable feat while solidifying the unique originality of Korean cinema."]
Korea was boiling over.
Without exaggeration, it felt like a national festival.
[Major corporations are eyeing Cannes-winning film Leech, competition to secure advertising appearances has already begun]
It almost looked as though the moment Kang Woojin and the Leech team returned, they would all pounce.
Meanwhile, in Cannes, France, Kang Woojin was dealing with this—
"Hello, director Ahn Ga-bok, Mr. Kang Woojin."
"Pleasure to meet you."
"Hello."
They were filming official interview content hosted by Cannes inside a spacious studio. The host, the staff, and the dozens of reporters present were all foreigners. It was late afternoon in Korea, but morning in France, and Kang Woojin along with the Leech team had a full day of interviews scheduled.
Their return flight was set for early afternoon.
Around then, Woojin found himself thinking quietly to himself.
'Ah, I'm really starting to miss Korea.'
No, to be honest, he was starting to grow tired of Cannes itself.
At noon on the 12th, in Japan—
While worldwide attention toward Korea had exploded because of Cannes, Japan, which had entered two films into the competition section, was steeped in a gloomy atmosphere. The reason was simple.
[Japan suffers total defeat to Korea at Cannes; despite having two competition entries, it returns empty-handed]
Japan had failed to win even a single award at this year's Cannes Film Festival. When it had entered two films into competition, the mood had been optimistic. Now, however, all of that had been buried beneath Leech's overwhelming presence. The entertainment industry, the film world, the media, and public sentiment were all saying the same thing.
[Korea stunned the world, while Japan could only stand by and watch]
[Japanese film industry suffers crushing defeat to Leech… criticism spreads across social media: "Learn from Korean cinema"]
[Film critic: "The reason Japan lost so badly to Korea is because of Japan's outdated film production system."]
["Quality over quantity" — Leech wins two major awards with a single film, while Japan goes home empty-handed]
At the same time, Kang Woojin's popularity in Japan was surging as well.
[Cannes Best Actor winner Kang Woojin, will he return to Japan for the release of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice?]
[The film The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice draws explosive public attention thanks to Kang Woojin's Best Actor win at Cannes just two years after debut]
Of course, opinions were divided. The Cannes incident brought in countless new fans, but it also created anti-fans within Japan who criticized Kang Woojin.
A few hours later—
While Japan remained wrapped in a sense of defeat, Incheon Airport in Korea had turned into the complete opposite. The atmosphere was so excited it felt like a nightclub. In other words, an enormous crowd had gathered.
It was near the arrival gate.
From the moment the gate doors opened, security guards and airport staff lined up, leaving only a narrow path wide enough for two people to squeeze through. There seemed to be over thirty security personnel alone, and hundreds of people packed the surrounding space.
"Careful!!"
"Aaah! Don't push!"
"Who just stepped on my foot?!"
"Please! Stay where you are!!"
"Hey!! Don't come forward! You're blocking the cameras!!"
They were reporters, all holding giant cameras and shoving against each other to get even one step closer. The crowd kept pressing forward in waves. Naturally, there were even more bystanders and spectators than reporters. Among them were many of Kang Woojin's fans, and the most common sight was people holding up their smartphones, ready to snap photos the instant someone appeared.
Outside the airport—
"Hurry!!"
"How much longer?!"
"Ten minutes! They'll be out in ten minutes!"
"Run! Run!!"
News teams from every domestic broadcaster stood in lines, rushing into the airport like they were being chased so they could join the enormous crowd already gathered inside.
And then, at that exact moment—
The arrival gate doors slid open, and the group everyone had been waiting for finally appeared. Instantly, the hundreds of shouting reporters fell silent, only to hammer away at their shutters. Then they burst into loud cries, and the entire arrival hall flashed white like lightning while their overlapping voices dissolved into chaotic noise.
Then—
"Wow, there are really a lot of people here."
The first person to appear before the reporters was director Ahn Ga-bok. His short white hair gleamed under the lights. In his hand, he held the Palme d'Or.
"Director! Director Ahn!!"
"Hello, director!"
"Congratulations! Please say a few words!"
"Please hold up the trophy!"
"Director Ahn Ga-bok!!"
Standing at the entrance to the arrival hall, Ahn Ga-bok waved to the hundreds of reporters. Behind him, the cast members who had gone to Cannes with him for Leech began to emerge one by one. First came the dignified veteran actor Shim Han-ho, empty-handed but commanding as ever. Then came Oh Hee-ryeong with her arms crossed, Han So-jin, and finally Jin Jae-jun.
The heat of the Korean press was every bit as intense as it had been at Cannes.
And then—
A man wearing a black cardigan, with natural hair and a calm expression, appeared last. He stood right beside Jin Jae-jun.
"Ah! Ah!!!"
"There he is! There he is!"
The sound of the shutters intensified yet again.
There was nothing surprising about that.
"Kang Woojin! Mr. Kang Woojin!!!"
The final person to appear was Kang Woojin.
With his entrance, the Leech team's formation was complete. From director Ahn Ga-bok all the way to Kang Woojin, a long line now filled the arrival hall, and the gathered reporters and spectators photographed them nonstop.
"The trophy! Director, Woojin!! Please lift the trophy again!!"
Director Ahn Ga-bok and actor Kang Woojin raised the history-making trophies to chest height. The reporters were nearly delirious with excitement.
It was a spectacular return.
At the same time, in Tokyo, Japan—
Inside the chairman's office at the headquarters of the massive Kashihi Group, an elderly man in a sharp suit sat against the backrest of an elegant sofa. White hairs were mixed into his eyebrows, but the intensity in his eyes still carried tremendous force. It was chairman Hideki Yoshimura.
"Hmm."
With his arms folded, he let out a small sound. Sitting at the far end of the sofa, Hideki watched the Japanese news playing on the large television directly in front of him.
The subject was this year's Cannes Film Festival.
Naturally, Kang Woojin's photo appeared as well. Leaning back into the sofa, Hideki let a wrinkled smile spread across his face.
"Ha. Who would have thought he'd reach global fame this quickly?"
He thought back to Kang Woojin's past, to the period after filming for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had ended, when they held meetings and a celebration gathering. At the time, Hideki had hoped Leech might make it to Cannes and had held a certain amount of expectation. But he had never even dreamed the film would achieve something large enough to shake the world.
"To win both the Palme d'Or and Best Actor… and not just for Korea, but the first in all of Asia. That is an extraordinary title."
But more than anything else, the one who had truly seized Hideki Yoshimura's attention was Kang Woojin himself. At present, he was both a major investor in and a supporter of Woojin and bw Entertainment.
"Have I ever seen returns on an investment come this quickly? As expected, Korea and Japan are far too small a stage for Kang Woojin. His talent belongs on a global one."
Hideki had only met Kang Woojin recently, yet he felt a strange sense of pride.
"And even so, in front of a prestigious Cannes audience filled with Hollywood powerhouses, he declared his ambition for the Academy Awards without a moment's hesitation. What a peculiar man."
Woojin's bold acceptance speech had become a major topic in Japan as well. His fluent French was merely a bonus on top of it all. Hideki stroked his chin.
"Next year, was it? Is it truly possible for Kang Woojin to reach the Academy Awards in just one year?"
His mind was packed with fierce expectations and calculations. At this point, he felt he would be disappointed if Kang Woojin did not make it to the Academy Awards. And yet the realistic obstacles were obvious. The Academy was not a stage one could reach with passion or swagger alone. It was the most authoritative and prestigious film award platform in the world, with a weight no other institution could rival.
After sinking into thought for a moment, Hideki pressed the intercom and called for his secretary. Soon, a neatly dressed woman with her hair tied to one side entered the office. It was secretary Tetsugawa Lily. When she lowered her head lightly, Hideki crossed his legs and spoke.
"Contact CEO Choi and tell him to prepare everything Kang Woojin will need in order to advance into Hollywood next year."
"Understood, Chairman."
"Kang Woojin is already growing at an incredible pace, but if I fully support him in every respect, he will move even faster."
As Lily picked up her tablet, Hideki shifted his gaze back to the television and changed the subject.
"By the way, Kang Woojin mentioned in his acceptance speech that he would buy a house in LA. What exactly did he mean by that?"
Standing straight, Lily answered immediately.
"We have received no such communication from CEO Choi's side. It appears Kang Woojin prepared it personally. I will look into it."
"No, no, that's fine. Hmm… that was my mistake. I should have arranged it when we discussed bw Entertainment's LA branch. Bringing it up now is too late."
A trace of regret crossed Hideki's face. He murmured under his breath, then tapped the sofa's armrest lightly with his index finger. Ten or so seconds passed like that. Finally, he met Lily's gaze again and smiled faintly.
"Kang Woojin has turned the world upside down. If his steadfast backer does not give him a gift, that would hardly be right. And The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice will be released soon as well."
"Do you have something specific in mind?"
"Whether it's Japan, LA, or anywhere else, Kang Woojin will be flying all over the world from now on."
"Yes, I think so too."
With one hand in his pocket, Chairman Hideki rose from the sofa and declared in a firm voice,
"We should give Kang Woojin one of our private jets."