Veteran actor Youn Yuh-jung won three more best supporting actress trophies from US film critic circles -- the San Diego Film Critics Society, Music City Film Critics Association and the DiscussingFilm Critic Awards -- for her role in “Minari.”

So far, Youn has won a total of 11 best supporting actress awards given by US film critics circles and festivals, including the Columbus Film Critics, Oklahoma Film Critics Circle and the North Carolina Film Critics.

Drama film’s director Lee Isaac Chung also won the San Diego Film Critics Society’s Best Original Screenplay award and the DiscussingFilm Critic best motion picture award.

With Youn and Lee winning the awards, hopes for “Minari” getting an Oscar nod are higher than ever.

The 2021 Academy Awards are scheduled for April 25, and nominees will be announced March 15.

“Minari” revolves around the story of a first-generation South Korean immigrant family of four, inspired by director Chung’s own story.

At the beginning of the film, Dad Jacob (Steven Yeun), mom Monica (Han Ye-ri), son David (Alan S. Kim) and daughter Anne (Noel Kate Cho) move to an Arkansas farm in pursuit of the American dream.

Youn plays the grandmother, Soon-ja, who is invited to come to the US to live with the family. She takes care of the two kids, while Jacob and Monica are at work. Instead of portraying a conventional Korean grandmother, Youn created a character that cannot cook a decent meal and instead teaches kids to play a card game called “Go Stop.”

“Minari” will be released in local theaters in early 2021.

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)