[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] Choi Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, extended his congratulations to Director Lee Chang-dong, who was honored with the Silver Lion Award at the Venice International Film Festival.

On the 13th, Minister Choi posted on his social media, “Director Lee Chang-dong, I wholeheartedly congratulate you on winning the Grand Jury Prize (Silver Lion) at the Venice International Film Festival for your new film, ‘Possible Love,’” and “With this dazzling achievement in Venice—your first in 24 years since ‘Oasis’ in 2002—you have set yet another great milestone in the history of Korean cinema,” he added.
He continued, “The director’s profound artistic spirit, which never ceases to ask questions, has once again resonated deeply with the global film community,” adding, “Thank you for being a source of great pride for the Korean film industry.”
Minister Choi added, “I also extend my congratulations to actors Jeon Do-yeon, Seol Kyung-gu, Jo In-sung, and Jo Yeo-jeong, as well as the entire production team, who worked alongside the director to craft this profound masterpiece,” and concluded, “I hope you finish this long journey in good health, and I look forward to seeing your familiar faces again soon.”
Along with his congratulatory message, Minister Choi posted a photo taken with Director Lee, writing, “This was when I visited the editing room for *Possible Love* earlier this year.”
*Possible Love* won the Grand Jury Prize (Silver Lion) at the closing ceremony of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, held on the 12th (local time) at the *Palazzo del Cinema* (Palace of Cinema) on the Lido island in Venice, Italy. The Grand Jury Prize is the second-highest honor after the top prize, the Golden Lion, and this marks the first time a Korean film has received the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.
Director Lee added this prestigious award to his collection 24 years after winning the Best Director Award—equivalent to the Silver Lion—for “Oasis” in 2002. For a Korean film, this marks the first time in 14 years since Director Kim Ki-duk’s “Pieta” won the Golden Lion in 2012.
“Possible Love” was selected as South Korea’s entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards and has been invited to major international film festivals, including Toronto, New York, San Sebastián, Zurich, Vancouver, and the Busan International Film Festival.