Actor Heo Nam-jun has been swept into unexpected controversy.
At the ‘2026 SBS Midyear Awards’ held on July 2, screenwriter Kang Hyun-joo and Heo Nam-jun from the SBS Friday–Saturday drama My Royal Nemesis, which wrapped to strong reviews on June 20, received Special Awards.
Heo, who played Cha Segye and made a strong impression on the public, said in his acceptance speech, "Thank you for making it so I really can’t walk outside," expressing gratitude to fans. However, right after the ceremony, online communities and social media zeroed in on the fact that co-star Im Ji-yeon’s name was missing from the winners list.
During its run, the dominant view was that Im Ji-yeon’s performance—seamlessly switching between comedy and serious drama—drove the show’s early buzz. As a result, netizens began alleging an ‘Im Ji-yeon snub,’ asking, "If one actor were to represent the work for an award, shouldn’t it have been Im Ji-yeon first?"
Online reactions remain sharply divided: "It doesn’t make sense," "I even started the drama because of Im Ji-yeon at first," "If I were a judge, I would have given it to Im Ji-yeon," and "Both did well in their own roles—why create controversy for no reason?" with opinions split down the middle.
Meanwhile, My Royal Nemesis maintained strong ratings and buzz throughout its run, successfully reviving SBS’s Friday–Saturday drama lineup.