The 61st Baeksang Arts Awards, one of South Korea’s most prestigious award shows, has recently found itself at the center of controversy—this time surrounding the Popularity Award voting process.

On April 23, 2025 (KST), Baeksang organizers launched a 10-day voting period for the Popularity Awards via the PRIZM app. Excitement ran high, especially after last year’s record-breaking 11 million votes in 2024. For 2025, a total of 70 candidates—35 male and 35 female stars from the TV and film categories—were nominated to compete. Ultimately, only one male and one female star with the highest number of votes would be crowned winners during the ceremony on May 5.

Voting seemed straightforward: each account could cast four free votes daily, refreshed at midnight, with an additional two votes granted for sharing the voting certificate page. However, the fairness of the competition came under fire shortly after the voting began.

Footage and screenshots began to surface online, allegedly showing the use of macro programs—automation tools that allow rapid, repeated voting without human input. These tools appear to have significantly inflated vote counts for several nominees, sparking outrage across social media platforms.

At the heart of the controversy are three top contenders:

• Hyeri, former Girl’s Day member and star of Victory
• IU, the beloved singer-actress who starred in When Life Gives You Tangerines
• Kim Hye Yoon, the rising actress behind the hit Lovely Runner

All three actresses have reportedly amassed between 2 to 3 million votes each, raising suspicion about the legitimacy of their popularity scores. Many fans are now openly demanding that Baeksang disqualify the three frontrunners, citing “clearly manipulated” results that undermine the spirit of fair competition.

Frustration continues to grow as the Baeksang committee remains silent, issuing no official statement or acknowledgment of the alleged voting fraud. Fans and observers argue that without immediate action, the credibility of the Popularity Award—and possibly the reputation of the Baeksang Awards themselves—could suffer lasting damage.

As the voting period moves closer to its end, all eyes are on the Baeksang Awards organizers: Will they address the growing scandal, or will this year’s Popularity Award be permanently tainted by controversy?

Stay tuned as the situation continues to unfold.