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South Korean actor Youn Yuh-jung, winner of the award for best supporting actress for her role as Soon-ja in "Minari," poses with her Oscar in the press room at the Oscars on Sunday, at Union Station in Los Angeles, California. (Yonhap News)

Youn Yuh-jung received the Oscar for best supporting actress, becoming the first South Korean actor to be recognized at the 93rd Academy Awards. Her award can be seen as a major step toward breaking down racial and linguistic barriers.

Critics said the universal appeal of Youn's acting in the film "Minari" helped force the Oscars to overcome its long neglect of films in languages other than English. Her award is the latest indication of evolution at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which has recently taken steps to increase racial diversity and the percentage of women among its members.

First of all, critics point to the significance of the Academy giving an acting award for a Korean-language role.

"' Parasite,' which is all in Korean, won best picture and best director at the Oscars last year, but it's actually much harder to win the acting Oscars. In that sense, Youn's Oscar for a Korean-language role is even more historic than the Oscars won by 'Parasite' last year," said Chun Chan-il, a film critic.

"With' Parasite' last year, we saw an attempt to break down the language barrier, but 'Minari' was the film that made it possible to win an Oscar for acting. I think that was because [Youn's] acting was universal enough to transcend language," said Kim Hyung-seok, another critic.

To see just how groundbreaking Youn's Oscar is, we only have to look back five years, to 2016, when everyone nominated for an acting Oscar was white. That was particularly controversial given the predominance of whites among the directors and actors who make up the Academy's membership.

Widespread criticism about pervasive white overrepresentation at the Academy, including the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite that trended on social media, forced a reckoning about the fact that the ceremony had long functioned as a "whites only" party.

South Korean actor Youn Yuh-jung, winner of the award for best supporting actress for her role as Soon-ja in "Minari," poses for a picture with Brad Pitt, who presented the best supporting actress award, in the press room at the Oscars on Sunday, at Union Station in Los Angeles, California. (Yonhap News)

The first sign of change came in 2018, when the Academy hiked up the percentage of BIPOC and women in its membership. The percentage of BIPOC, which had hovered around 10% each year, was elevated to 38%, while the percentage of women was also brought to parity, at 49%.

Such changes are thought to have affected Youn's triumph at the Oscars.

"The four Oscars won by 'Parasite' last year and Youn's Oscar for best supporting actress reflect not only the quality of the films and praise for Youn's acting but also the Academy's attempt to reform itself. Chloé Zhao, director of 'Nomadland,' became the first female of Asian descent to win best director, showing that the Oscars are trying to broaden their reach beyond the US," Kim said.

Academy members paid particular attention to minorities in the nominations and awards this year, producing what could be called a multiracial festival.

In an online press conference held after the awards ceremony on Sunday, Youn gave a nod to the Academy's evolution.

"It's not very nice to divide [people into different races]. If we put all the colors together, it makes it prettier," Youn said, comparing that to a "rainbow."

Newspapers around the world were quick to cover news that the second actor of Asian descent had won the Oscar for best supporting actress.

Soon after the awards were announced Sunday, the Los Angeles Times printed a story titled, "' Minari' breakout Yuh-Jung Youn makes Oscars history as first ever Korean acting winner."

"South Korea's Yuh-Jung Youn made history Sunday night, winning the supporting actress Academy Award for her role as the mischievous but wise grandmother Soonja in Lee Isaac Chung's family drama 'Minari,' her American film debut," the newspaper said.

The New York Times reported the news of Youn's Oscar win by quoting her as saying, "Tonight, I have just a little bit [of] luck, I think."

"Youn has been a sensation on Korean screens for decades, most often playing witty, thought-provoking characters," Reuters said in its coverage of the award.

The Guardian also posted an article titled "Youn Yuh-jung wins best supporting actress Oscar for Minari" immediately after the ceremony.

"Youn was on relatively restrained form at the Oscars," the British newspaper said. "She thanked the Academy fulsomely and [praised] the Minari' family,' particularly the film's director Lee Isaac Chung."

The Guardian added that Youn had thanked her "two boys who make me go out and work."

The Japanese press also highlighted the significance of Asian women winning the Oscars for best supporting actress and best director, both major awards.

"Youn Yuh-jung has received high praise for her acting in 'Minari.' This was the first time an Asian woman has won the Oscar for best supporting actress since Japanese-American Miyoshi Umeki in 1958," said the Asahi Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper.

"The Academy Awards [this year] were historic, with Asian women taking home the Oscars for best director and best supporting actress," the newspaper added.

By Oh Seung-hun, staff reporter

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