Ki Joo-bong won the best actor award at the 2018 Locarno Film Festival that ended Saturday.

He won the prize for his performance in Hong Sang-soo’s 2018 film “Hotel by the River.” Ki is a veteran actor of some 40 years, who has performed onstage and starred in films and TV shows.

In the film, Ki played the role of poet Young-wan, who has taken up residence at a hotel, where he summons his two sons as he feels his life might soon be over -- though there is no apparent danger posed against him. Young-wan later meets two women, played by Kim Min-hee and Song Seon-mi.

With his win on Saturday, Ki became the second Korean actor to be given the prize. In 2015, Jung Jae-young won the best actor prize for his role in “Right Now, Wrong Then.” Director Hong Sang-soo’s “Right Now, Wrong Then” won the Golden Leopard award that year.

“Hotel by the River” was Korea’s only entry at the prestigious Swiss film festival this year.

By Shim Woo-hyun ()