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A still from “Minari” (provided by Pancinema)

Youn Yuh-jung has been nominated for an Academy Award, the first time a South Korean actor has received that honor. She was recognized for her role in the film “Minari,” which has received nominations in a total of six categories, including best picture and best director.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards on its official YouTube channel Monday.

Youn was nominated for best supporting actress along with Maria Bakalova, in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”; Olivia Colman, in “The Father”; Amanda Seyfried, in “Mank”; and Glenn Close, in “Hillbilly Elegy.”

Korean films have received Oscar nods before. In last year’s Academy Awards, “Parasite,” directed by Bong Joon-ho, was nominated in six categories and took home four, while “In The Absence,” directed by Yi Seung-jun, was nominated for best documentary on a short subject. But this is the first time a South Korean actor has been nominated at the Oscars.

In “Minari,” an autobiographical film directed by Korean-American Lee Isaac Chung, Youn plays the role of Soonja, a Korean woman who joins her daughter’s family, who has moved to Arkansas in the 1980s, to take care of her grandchildren.

“Minari” has won 90 cinematic awards in the US and elsewhere, including best foreign language award at the Golden Globes, with 32 of those awards recognizing Youn’s acting.

In their Oscar predictions, US media outlets such as Variety and Gold Derby think Youn and Olivia Colman are the leading contenders for best supporting actress, fueling hopes that Youn could take home the Oscar.

An Oscar win for Youn would be a first for a South Korean actor, as well as only the second Oscar given to an Asian actor since Japanese-American Miyoshi Umeki claimed best supporting actress for her role in the 1957 film “Sayonara.”

“Minari” has also been nominated for best picture (producer Christina Oh), best director and original screenplay (Lee Isaac Chung), best actor (Steven Yeun) and score (Emile Mosseri). That’s six categories altogether, matching the number of Oscar nods “Parasite” got last year.

“Opera,” a short film directed by Korean-American Erick Oh, has also received an Oscar nomination in the category of animated short.

Oh is an animator who worked on Pixar films such as “Finding Dory” and “Inside Out.” His short films have been awarded at various animated film festivals around the world.

The Academy Awards ceremony will be held on April 25.

By Suh Jung Min, staff reporter

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