The period drama "The King's Affection" starring Park Eun-bin won an International Emmy award for Best Telenovela at this year's ceremony in New York on Monday. The Best Telenovela category recognizes non-English TV dramas.
It is the first time a Korean series has been honored at the International Emmy Awards.
"The King's Affection" revolves around a crown prince's twin sister who is abandoned for being a girl but later disguises herself as a boy and becomes crown prince when her brother dies.
The series was aired on KBS from October to December last year and received rave reviews. Park and her co-star Rowoon of boy band SF9 were honored for their acting and chemistry in the series at the broadcaster's year-end drama awards.
It has also been made available worldwide on the streaming platform Netflix and risen to rank fourth on its non-English TV show chart -- a first for a Korean historical drama.
Its producer Arc Media said, "We are proud that a Korean period drama appealed globally."
The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which presents the awards, also honored CJ Group vice chairwoman Lee Mie-kyung, also known as Miky Lee, with the International Emmy Directorate Award for her contributions to the global expansion of Korean content and the development of the country's cultural industry.
IATAS said Lee "has harnessed her exceptional business acumen and love of her country's culture by tirelessly spearheading the global phenomenon of the Korean wave for over 25 years."
In her acceptance speech, Lee said she was proud that Korean content such as Bong Joon-ho's multi-Oscar-winning film "Parasite" and Park Chan-wook's movie "Decision to Leave" had gained global recognition.
The annual International Emmy Awards are given to TV programs produced and originally aired outside the U.S.
They are separate from the Primetime Emmy Awards, which recognize the best in American prime time television programming. Netflix's hit Korean series "Squid Game" won two Emmys at this year's ceremony in September -- Outstanding Directing for Hwang Dong-hyuk and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Lee Jung-jae.
