Yun Taerang and Kim Junghan Receive Awards at BIFF 2026 and Seoul Indie-AniFest 2026

A current student and an alumnus of the Department of Animation in the School of Film, TV & Multimedia have earned major awards at leading Korean film festivals. Yun Taerang’s TOE’S (2026) received the Sonje Award at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) 2026, while Kim Junghan’s Rhino Issue (2025) won the Grand Prize, “Star of Indie,” at the 22nd Seoul Indie-AniFest 2026.

TOE’S, created by Yun Taerang, an undergraduate senior, won the Sonje Award in the Busan Vision Awards, which recognizes outstanding Korean and Asian short films in the Wide Angle Competition. The sci-fi black comedy follows Mingi, who receives a mysterious package after injuring his pinky toe while working at a distribution center, setting off an escalating series of uncontrollable events. Through its sharp satire and clever humor, the film explores issues of labor and human rights. At the festival, Yun thanked audiences for their support and shared his plans to begin writing screenplays for his next short film and an animated feature.

Kim Junghan, a 2025 alumnus, presented a coming-of-age fantasy in Rhino Issue (2025), centering on an adolescent boy navigating the boundaries of identity. The rhino serves as a symbol of the boy’s desires and growth, while the film’s distinctive visual expression and charming character design convey the instability that members of minority groups may experience through fragile connections with others. Kim recalled that he could not initially believe the news of his win, which he learned while attending the festival, and expressed his aspiration to create animations that remain in audiences' memories for a long time.

Other students in the Department of Animation also achieved notable recognition. So Heeyeon’s How to Wash Clothes You Love (2026) won Best International Youth Animation at the 9th Astoria Film Youth Festival and was invited to the 2026 Taichung International Animation Festival and the 6th Seongbuk Film Festival. Moon Seulgi’s Cycle took second place in the animation category at the Three Acts of Goodness Micro Film Festival and was nominated for the Student Competition at Athens Animfest 2026 and the Korean Short Film Competition at the 2026 Bucheon International Animation Festival.

Department Head Park Jongshin praised Yun and Kim for addressing challenging themes of puberty and labor in their own distinctive styles with a high level of artistic completion. He also commended their ability to push beyond creative and technical limits.

The Department of Animation offers studio project courses in which students take full responsibility for writing, producing, directing, and editing their own works. Throughout the process, faculty members provide one-on-one guidance and collaborate closely with students to support their creative production.