Critics praised Kim for his smart , well-made commercial films , as well as for challenging the bias against physical disability and obesity in Korean society . Kim said , " Comedy starts off with pain . But is it really best to portray that pain in a painful way ? If one has really experienced pain , and really gone to the depth of it , I doubt one will really put a raw edge on it . I am drawn to a movie that contains both joy and sadness , and at the same time remains simple and light . My answer to comedy is to include both ' a teardrop and a smile . ' " 2009 sports film '' Take Off '' ( titled " National Athlete " or " National Team " in Korean ) became Kim 's third consecutive box office hit . Starring Ha Jung-woo , Kim Dong-wook , Kim Ji-seok , Choi Jae-hwan , Lee Jae-eung and Sung Dong-il as a rag-tag group of athletes formed to support Muju City 's 1996 Olympics bid but whose passion and competitive spirit won them a berth at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics , it was based on the true story of the oft-overlooked Korean national ski jumping team , which faced poor domestic support and unfavorable conditions but went on to win successive medals in the Winter Universiade . According to Kim , the protagonist played by Ha Jung-woo , an ex-U.S. junior alpine skier and adoptee who returns to Korea in search of his birth mother , was inspired by real-life athlete Toby Dawson . '' Take Off '' became the second highest-grossing Korean film of the year , with 8.8 million tickets sold . Kim won Best Director at the 29th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards , the 46th Grand Bell Awards , and the 30th Blue Dragon Film Awards , while '' Take Off '' won Best Film at the 17th Chunsa Film Art Awards and the 46th Baeksang Arts Awards
46th
46th Grand Bell Awards
Kim Yong-hwa