In a congratulatory message released after actor Oh Young-soo was announced as the winner in the supporting actor in a series, limited series, or television movie category at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, President Moon Jae-in applauded the actor, saying, “His journey of acting for more than half a century eventually overcame borders and cultural differences, creating great emotional and lingering impressions on the world stage. I would like to express my respect and gratitude to actor Oh Young-soo, also known as ‘Gganbu Grandpa.’”

Oh won the award for his role as player No. 1 in Netflix’s South Korean megahit “Squid Game,” directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk. Oh became the first Korean actor to win a prize at the awards organized by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Moon talked about “Squid Game” topping the charts of most-watched programs on Netflix in over 90 countries and said it shows the power of Korean culture.

“The message that ‘Squid Game’ delivers is heavy. On the outside, it shows an extreme game that separates winners and losers, but there is a hidden message that tells the story of not losing hope and humanity despite the difficulties,” Moon added.

Moon also included messages for lead actor Lee Jung-jae and director Hwang Dong-hyuk, who were also nominated at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, but failed to clinch the respective awards.

“Unfortunately, they did not win, but I would like to give a round of applause to director Hwang Dong-hyuk and the production crew, who made us proud and raised our nation’s status, and also to actor Lee Jung-jae, who gave his best performance,” Moon said.

Aside from Oh, the “Squid Game” team was nominated for best drama series and Lee was nominated for best television actor in the drama category.

The 79th Golden Globe Awards were held Monday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles as a private event without an audience. It also was not broadcast after NBC declined to air the awards event, which has been facing backlash due to allegations of racism and sexism.