‘Parasite,’ ‘Kingdom,’ Pengsoo Among 2020 Korea Content Awards Winners

SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” Netflix zombie thriller “Kingdom” and giant penguin character Pengsoo were among the works that have been selected as winners of the 2020 Korea Content Awards, the culture ministry said Saturday.

The annual ceremony rewards local content that has contributed to the culture industry.

This year, it will take place at CKL Stage Center in Seoul on Tuesday, with only a minimum number of award winners and staff members attending the event amid the new coronavirus pandemic, according to the ministry.

Starting this year, the Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit, the third-highest of five levels, will also be given to those who have contributed to upholding the country’s reputation and facilitating its economy through creative work.

The first cultural medal in that category will go to Kwon Hyuk-bin, the founder and board chairman of Smilegate Holdings Inc., one of South Korean’s major online game developers, the ministry said.

Smilegate has developed games that have gained popularity across the world, including “Crossfire,” “Epic Seven” and “Lost Ark.”

The games have been exported to 80 countries, amassing some 670 million users and making profits of 3.5 trillion won (US$3.2 billion) from royalty fees.

The ministry also announced the winners for the ceremony’s seven original categories — overseas achievements, achievements in TV programs, achievements in game industry, best cartoon, best animation, best character and best story.

Kwak Sin-ae, CEO of Barunson Entertainment & Arts Corp., and Lee Sang-baek, CEO of Astory Co., were chosen as winners for overseas achievements with their productions of the Oscar-winning movie “Parasite” and Netflix’s hit zombie drama “Kingdom,” respectively.

For TV programs, Shin Won-ho, the director of popular medical drama “Hospital Playlist,” and KBS producer Choe Pil-gon, who filmed a documentary titled “23.5″ that captured the breathtaking moments of life and civilizations on Earth, were selected as winners.

For online games, Namkoong Whon, the head of Kakao Games Corp., and Seo Tae-geon, the head of World Cyber Games, were named as award recipients.

“Baby Shark” by Smartstudy Co.; “Giant Peng TV” featuring EBS’s giant penguin Pengsoo; “Tower of God,” a Naver Inc. webtoon; and “Alien Game,” a story from the website Story Um, were also announced as winners in other categories.

“Korean content is giving comfort to people exhausted from COVID-19 by creating a new Korean wave around the world,” Culture Minister Park Yang-woo said, adding that the ministry will strive to provide support so that industry workers can have pride in their work.

(Yonhap)