The historical drama The King’s Affection, which stars famous actors Park Eun-bin and Rowoon, has become the first Korean-language series to receive an International Emmy Award.
At the 50th edition of the annual award gala, the 20-episode drama, Yeonmo in Korean, won the prize for the best telenovela. It was broadcast on the Korean television station KBS2 as well as on Netflix in a few overseas locations last year.
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The announcement was also made on the official Twitter page of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
“The International Emmy for Telenovela goes to ‘Yeonmo [The King’s Affection]’ produced by KBS / Arc Media / Monster Union / Netflix! #SouthKorea #iemmyWIN,” the tweet stated.
The International Emmy for Telenovela goes to “Yeonmo [The King’s Affection]” produced by KBS / Arc Media / Monster Union / Netflix! #SouthKorea #iemmyWIN pic.twitter.com/NGQt9gexiM
— International Emmy Awards (@iemmys) November 22, 2022
There were three other films nominated in this category: Nos Tempos do Imperador (Brazil), Two Lives (Spain) and You Are My Hero (China).
Head of the KBS Drama Center Lee Geon Joon expressed his happiness that The King’s Affection won the first-ever International Emmy for a Korean drama in a statement to the Korean publication Soompi.
Lee said, “I feel an immense sense of responsibility during this time when K-content is receiving so much love around the world. We will do our best so that KBS dramas can play a large role in maintaining the potential of Korean (entertainment) content.”
The King’s Affection, set during the Joseon dynasty when having twins was viewed as a bad omen, centered on the secret life of a princess who pretended to be the Crown Prince after her fraternal twin was killed in childhood.
The critically acclaimed drama has already received accolades for its writer at the Seoul International Drama Awards as well as a popularity award for Park and Rowoon at the Korea Broadcasting Awards.
The event, which took place on Monday night in New York City, also featured appearances by Korean celebrities Song Joong-ki, Im Si-wan, and Rain on the red carpet.
The famous International Emmy Awards, where more than 1,000 international broadcasting, production, and distribution professionals gather to honor the finest in international television, are held annually and feature shows from leading television producers from across the world.
Cover Image Source: Twitter
