In accepting the latter, Kim said to his younger co-star and rival in the category, Ha Jung-woo: 'Thanks for making me shine this time - next time I'll be there to make you shine!'
With 11 nominations - the most ever for a single film - The Chaser (which recently screened in the Midnight section at Cannes), also went away with Best Cinematography, Best Creative Planning/Development, and Most Popular Actor, again for Kim who played an ex-cop who tracks down the serial killer played by Ha.
The other hot thriller of the year at the awards, Seven Days, took Best Actress for Yunjin Kim and Best Editing as well as Best Sound Effects.
Winning over last year's Cannes Best Actress award-winner Jeon Do-yeon (in Secret Sunshine), Kim played a lawyer who is forced to find a way to free a convicted murderer in order to get her kidnapped child back.
She thanked director Won Shin-yeon for 'sending the script all the way to Hawaii [where she appears in the TV series Lost] and lying to me that I was the only one in the world who could play this role.'
Last year's Best Actress award-winner Kim A-jung emceed the ceremony for a second year in a row, joined by SBS announcer Choi Ki-hwan.
In a subdued atmosphere, several of the presenters and winners in the 22 categories made references to overcoming the current depression in local filmmaking.
Yoo Joo-ho, who won for Best Art Direction in Lee Myung-se's innovative mystery M, commented: 'With investment going down, the first thing to go these days is usually the art budget. But I think M was a good example of cost efficiency, and this award should be a reason for us to take heart.'
Full Awards List:
Best Film - The Chaser (dir. Na Hong-jin / prod. Bidangil Pictures)
Best Director - Na Hong-jin (The Chaser)
Best Leading Actress - Yunjin Kim (Seven Days)
Best Leading Actor - Kim Yoon-suk (The Chaser)
Best Supporting Actress - Kim Hye-sook (Open City)
Best Supporting Actor - Yoo Joon-sang (Wide Awake)
Best Cinematography - Lee Sung-je (The Chaser)
Best Creative Planning/Development - Sujin Kim, Yoon In-beom (The Chaser)
Best Editing - Shin Min-kyung (Seven Days)
Best Script - Park Yoon (Viva Love)
Best Lighting -Park Sae-moon (Shadows In The Palace)
Best Music - Won Il (Hwang Jin Yi)
Best Art Direction - Yoon Sang-yoon, Yoo Joo-ho (M)
Best Visual Effects - Younggu Art (D-War)
Best Sound Effects - Lee Eun-joo, Lee Seung-cheol (Seven Days)
Contribution to the Development of Cinema - Yoo Dong-hoon
Best Costumes - Jeong Ku-ho (Hwang Jin Yi)
Best New Director - Oh Jeom-gyun (Viva Love)
Best New Actor - Daniel Henney (My Father)
Best New Actress - Han Yeh-seul (Miss Gold Digger)
Most Popular Actor - Kim Yoon-suk
Most Popular Actress - Han Yeh-seul
Korean Wave Popularity Award - Ba:bo (dir. Kim Jung-kwon)
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