[Official] Yeo Dal-rae wins Grand Prize at 2026 MBC Drama Screenplay Contest; Park Ji-eun and Kwon Yu-su take Excellence Awards

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Yeo Dal-rae’s “Garibong Records 1985” was selected for the Choi U (수상) at the 2026 MBC Drama Screenplay Contest. In the single mini-series category, one work received the Choi U (수상), and two works were awarded Excellence Prizes. The Excellence Prizes went to Kwon Yu-su’s “Seduce Me” and Park Ji-eun’s “The Witch of Paradise.”

The awards ceremony for the “2026 MBC Drama Screenplay Contest,” held on the 21st at Seoul Sangam MBC, was attended by the winning writers, Lee Seong-ju, President and CEO of MBC, Lee Woo-hwan, Vice President, Kim Jin-man Je Jak-bon (Director), Kang Dae-sun, Head of Drama Studio, Kim Ji-ha, Head of the Drama IP Development Team, and other MBC drama-related personnel, as well as family members and acquaintances of the winning writers.

Before presenting the awards, Lee Seong-ju, President and CEO of MBC, began by saying, “I was deeply impressed by the brilliant creativity and narrative of the winning works after reading them myself.” He added, “We sincerely support your bold first steps as the selected writers who will lead the new future of K-dramas. The original stories born from your pens will now meet MBC and leap into global IPs that captivate viewers not only in South Korea but around the world.”

Out of a total of 2,196 submitted works, MBC selected three works after review: “Garibong Records 1985” (by writer Yeo Dal-rae) for the Choi U (수상), and “Seduce Me” (by writer Kwon Yu-su) and “The Witch of Paradise” (by writer Park Ji-eun) for the Excellence Prizes.

The winning writers will receive a prize money of 50 million won for the Choi U (수상) and 30 million won each for the Excellence Prizes, along with benefits such as writing spaces at Sangam MBC and the Gangnam MBC Smart Center, creative support funds, matching with customized producers and mentoring as MBC selected writers, and support for research and interview reporting for work planning.

Yeo Dal-rae’s “Garibong Records 1985” was selected for the Choi U (수상). This time-slip musical drama follows a cold-blooded music producer who crash-lands in Garibong-dong in 1985 and, in order to return to 2026, debuts his twenty-year-old mother as a “Billboard” star, thereby recovering the warmth of his lost life. The work received praise from the judges, who noted that it “effectively captures human emotions with mass appeal through a concept combining a mother-daughter narrative, music, and time-slip set against the backdrop of 1980s Garibong.”

Writer Yeo Dal-rae expressed her gratitude, saying, “Thank you for supporting me with this precious award. I will diligently warm up my life so that the stories flowing from my fingertips become even warmer in the future.”

Kwon Yu-su’s “Seduce Me,” which received an Excellence Prize, is a romantic comedy that begins when a man from 2009 receives an absurd phone call from a woman in 2029 asking him to “seduce my past self.” The work was highly praised by the judges for its concept of “a future self providing dating coaching for a past self,” which differentiates it from existing time-slip romances while offering popular entertainment value.

Writer Kwon Yu-su shared his thoughts, stating, “I have mainly written movie screenplays for 10 years. In fact, a film I scripted is set to be released next month, so I am even happier to have been selected in this year’s MBC Screenplay Contest as well. I will do my utmost with passion to develop the winning work ‘Seduce Me’ until the end so that it can reach the viewers. Thank you.”

The other Excellence Prize winner, “The Witch of Paradise,” is a mutual salvation romance in which Gu Se-na, exiled to a nursing home, and Dr. Cha Ju-hwan, who imprisoned himself there, uncover the secrets of paradise. The work drew praise as one that “stands out for its strong female protagonist, rhythmic dialogue, and ability to interestingly unravel conflicts between characters.”

Writer Park Ji-eun shared her heartfelt thoughts, saying, “It is even more meaningful because the script, which I enjoyed writing greatly, brought the good result of being selected. I am grateful to the judges who chose it for its potential despite the many parts that still need polishing. I will write harder so that my stories can reach many people.”

MBC has consistently presented works selected through its drama screenplay contests to viewers. “This Intimate Traitor” by writer Han A-young, a 2021 winning work, was hailed as one of the “best dramas of 2024,” receiving much praise and love for its meticulous story and sophisticated direction. In addition to this, the work demonstrated the power of the “MBC Drama Screenplay Contest” by achieving awards at major domestic ceremonies, including the Directing Award in the Broadcasting Category at the “61st Baeksang Arts Awards” and the Grand Prize at the “52nd Korea Broadcasting Awards,” as well as an official invitation to “Series Cannes.” Furthermore, “21st Century Grand Duchess” by writer Yoo Ji-won, a 2022 winning work, gathered high interest even before its broadcast and was aired with the response of domestic and international viewers, leading to a meaningful fruit through the screenplay contest.

In addition, various winning works have met with viewers, including “Manager Maeng’s Trolls” (Kim Dam/2024 winning work), “I Don’t Like Tonkatsu” (Noh Ye-ri/2023 winning work), “Wild Boar Hunting” (Jo Beom-gi/2021 winning work), “Black Sun” (Park Seok-ho/2018 winning work), “Please Send a Fan Letter” (Park Tae-yang/2021 winning work), “Old-Fashioned Intern” (Shin So-ra/2018 winning work), “Miss Lee Knows” (Seo Young-hee/2019 winner), “I Have a Goal” (Ryu Sol-a/2020 winner), “Check the Event” (Kim Tae-ju/2020 winner), “Self-Illuminating Office” (Jeong Hye-hyun/2016 winner), and “The Watcher” (Kim Su-eun/2016 winner).

In addition, many beloved works such as “Detective 1958” (Kim Young-shin/participated in 2020), “Red Hood” (writer Jeong Hae-ri/2007 winner), “One Ordinary Day” (Jung Ji-hye/2018 winner, Song Ha-young/2017 winner), and “Special Labor Inspector Jo Jang-poom” (Kim Ban-di/2014 winner) are also works completed by winners or applicants of the MBC Drama Screenplay Contest through the planning and development process with MBC.

Based on its long tradition, the MBC Drama Screenplay Contest has discovered capable new writers and innovative works. In particular, it actively supports winning works and finalists in meeting viewers in a short time through a “one-stop comprehensive support system” that integrates bold investment and extensive planning and producing know-how. Meanwhile, the 2027 MBC Drama Screenplay Contest is scheduled to be announced and accept submissions in the first half of next year.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original