'I Still Can't Believe It': Actor Park Han-byul wins Paris gallery invite at first-ever art competition

Actor Park Han-byul has won a place in a Paris gallery exhibition after being selected at her first-ever art competition, raising expectations for her emerging career as a painter.

Park shared the painting she submitted to the 2026 JoongAng Painting Competition on her SNS on Sunday, reflecting on what it meant to enter an art contest for the first time in her life.

"It's my very first time entering an art competition, and I made it to the finals, got into the Insadong exhibition, and was even selected for the Paris gallery invitational," she said. "I'm still stunned by this unbelievable result."

She added that seeing her work displayed alongside the other entries left her feeling both awed and humbled. "It was surreal to see my painting hanging among these incredibly deep, impressive and detailed works," she said. "Looking at the other pieces actually made me feel a little less confident, but it was truly an amazing experience."

She went on to say, "It's my first competition ever — that's worth bragging about, right?" unable to hide her delight.

The work Park submitted, titled "My Inner Garden," is an acrylic painting on canvas rendered in vivid colors. Reflecting on seeing it on display, she said, "I still can't believe it even looking at it again" and "Something truly unbelievable has happened — it feels completely unreal."

The 2026 JoongAng Painting Competition is a painting contest organized by JoongAng Ilbo, now in its sixth year. Entrants first pass an online preliminary round, from which 300 finalists are selected before an in-person judging round determines the award winners. A total of 275 finalist works have been on display at the special gallery of Maru Art Center in Insadong, Seoul, from Thursday through Monday.

The grand prize winner receives a purchase prize of 10 million won ($7,040), while finalists also receive opportunities to exhibit their work abroad as well as domestically.

Fans flooded Park with congratulations and encouragement, with comments including "This is so moving and impressive," "I knew you'd be selected," "The time and effort you put into that painting is priceless" and "Please hold a solo exhibition someday."

Park made her debut as a magazine model in 2002 before expanding into acting, gaining popularity through drama series including "My Fair Lady" and "I Have a Lover." She has recently been connecting with fans and sharing her daily life through her YouTube channel "Park Han-byul Hana."