The team of "Legend of Flower" performed at the opening ceremony of the Seoul International Drama Awards on August 31 (Photo courtesy of Sheraton Grand Walkerhill)

The awards ceremony for the sixth Seoul International Drama Awards took place on August 31, featuring diverse international drama productions. For the year of 2011, the annual awards festival received a total of 204 submissions from 37 nations including China, Romania, Brazil, Chile, and the United States, making it the largest in scale in its six-year history since its launch in 2006.

The festival featured some of the best drama productions around the globe that address a variety of global and social issues, including women suffering from social deprivation or religious oppression persecution, and starving children in Africa.

Among many actors and actresses who made their way down the red carpet included Chinese actor Jianbin Chen and Japanese actor Ryunosuke Kamiki. Korean singer and actor Park Yoochun, who has been in the spotlight for his widespread popularity across Asia, was awarded Best Actor for starring in “Sungkyunkwan Scandal.”

The grand prize went to the Chinese drama “Three Kingdoms,” produced after a renowned Chinese classic novel, which depicted a period of Chinese history. The story has already been adapted for film and television several times, leading to a higher chance for the production to be old and cliched to audiences. However, the latest reinterpretation received high praise from the jury for its clever presentation of the original content seasoned with creative and artistic execution. Among the Korean productions, “Secret Garden”, “Marry Me, Mary,” and “Sungkyunkwan Scandal” also won awards in the Hallyu segment dedicated to Korean Drama Series.

From September 1 to 4, a series of special events associated with the Seoul International Drama awards were held at the outdoor stage of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. For more information, please visit the official website at: www.seouldrama.org (Korean and English).

By Hwang Dana
Korea.net Staff Writer