Taxi Driver star Lee wins second grand prize

Jan 02, 2026, 08:54 am

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Actor Lee Je-hoon poses after winning the grand prize at the SBS Drama Awards. / Yonhap

Actor Lee Je-hoon claimed the grand prize at the SBS Drama Awards, securing his second top honor for his performance in the hit series Taxi Driver.

Lee accepted the award on Dec. 31 at the SBS Prism Tower in Sangam, western Seoul. The victory marks his second grand prize since 2023, when he shared the honor after starring in Taxi Driver 2.

Currently on air, Taxi Driver 3 also won Drama of the Year and the award for overall excellence, underscoring the franchise’s continued strength. Lee plays Kim Do-gi, a vigilante driver who exacts revenge on behalf of victims failed by the justice system.

“Acting is something I want to do well, but the more I do it, the harder it becomes,” Lee said in his acceptance speech. “Whenever I doubted my limits, the encouragement from fans gave me the strength to keep going.” He added that the series’ longevity—now spanning more than five years—was owed to viewers who responded each week “with anger and empathy.”

The Taxi Driver franchise debuted in 2021 and has grown into one of SBS’s flagship series, based on a webtoon of the same name. Its cathartic structure, channeling public outrage into narrative resolution, has helped keep it at the center of primetime television.

The ceremony also honored late veteran actor Lee Soon-jae with a posthumous Achievement Award. Footage of his career played as his recorded words—“An actor must do everything and keep thinking without end”—filled the hall. Attendees rose to their feet to pay tribute.

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