Ceremony set for Saturday at National Assembly members' hall in Yeouido

Lee Young-ha, Kim Bo-yeon, Lee Han-wi among culture and entertainment award recipients

Director Jang Hang-jun. [Newsis]
Director Jang Hang-jun. [Newsis]

The 2026 Korea Entertainment Awards ceremony will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at the main conference hall of the National Assembly members' office building in Yeouido, Seoul.

According to the Korea Entertainment Association, the ceremony will recognize individuals, companies and institutions that have made notable contributions across culture and the arts, healthcare, ESG (environmental, social and governance) management, and brand development. Association President Lee Il-seop will serve as general chair and organizing committee head.

Awards will be presented in four main categories: the Proud Korean Award, the Korea Medical Brand Award, the Korea ESG Management Award and the Korea K-Brand Award.

Director Jang Hang-jun of "The King's Warden," this year's biggest box-office hit with about 16.27 million admissions, will deliver a welcoming address at the event. Jang will also receive the 2026 Korea Entertainment Awards Director of the Year prize.

"The King's Warden" is the year's top-grossing film and ranks second all time at the Korean box office, behind "Roaring Currents" (about 17.61 million admissions). Its cumulative revenue has surpassed 150 billion won ($112 million), making it the highest-grossing Korean film in history.

Actor Lee Young-ha, Seol Do-yoon — the former Korea Musical Association chairman known as the producer of musicals including "Cats," "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Evita" — National Assembly member Min Byeong-deok and Seoul Metropolitan Council Speaker Im Man-gyun will deliver congratulatory remarks. Announcer Lee Se-jin and Yonhap News TV's Hwang In-seong will co-host the ceremony.

This year's Korea Entertainment Award recipients are actors Lee Young-ha, Kim Bo-yeon, former chairman Seol Do-yoon, Korea Broadcasting Performers' Labor Union Chairman Kim Young-jin, and actors Choi Jong-hwan, Lee Han-wi, Heo Yun-jeong, Choi Jong-nam and Kwon O-jung.

Recipients of the Korea Popular Culture and Arts Award include Kim Yun-seop, chairman of the arts-sharing public-interest foundation IPAC Children; Kim Min-kyung, South Korea's first certified colorist; comedians Na Gyeong-hun and Yang Gi-ung; tenor Oh Yu-seok; Western-style painter Kong Tae-yeon; announcer Lee Se-jin; Yonhap News TV announcer Hwang In-seong; and actors Kim Gyeong-ryong, Kim Hyeong-il, Kim Jeong-gyun, An Jeong-hun and Bae Do-hwan. Stage director Lee Hyo-suk, known for the play "Chinjeong Eomma," is also among the honorees.

In the popular music, broadcasting and modeling categories, choreographers Bae Yun-jeong, Eom Tae-in, Lee Jae-bok and Kim Yun-han, star vocal trainer Jeon Bong-jin, and singers Song Min-jeong, Jeon Cheol-min, Yeon Ye-jin, Yun Tae-gyu, Lee Hye-ri, Kim Seung-jin and Kim Jang-su of the group Nopeuneumjari were selected as recipients.

Announcers Son Yun-jin, Kim Ye-sol, Park Min-seo, Lee So-yu, Lee Su-bin, Lee Song-jo and Park Chae-rin, reporters Kim Ju-won and Kim Gi-hwan, KBS weather forecaster Kim Gyu-ri, and comedian Lee Yeong-sik will also receive the Korea Popular Culture and Arts Award.

The Korea K-Pop Contribution Award will go to Park Seong-jin, chief executive of the World K-Pop Center (Hallyu Training Center). The K-Pop Super Rookie Award will go to multinational girl group Bling One; the K-Pop Rising Star Award to five-member boy group VOID; and the K-Pop New Icon Award to traditional Korean music artist Kim Jun-su. The Korea Popular Culture and Arts Award will be presented to five-member multinational girl group Diva X and trot singer Lee Seung-ryul, while the Korea Traditional Culture Award will go to renowned hanbok designer Lee Sun-hwa.

In the classical music category, recipients of the Classical Music Popularization Award include Seoul Orchestra conductor Kim Hee-jun, Carnegie Lee Foundation President Lee Ye-young, baritone Yu Jin-ho, mezzo-sopranos Park Hyo-ju and Shin Hyeon-seon, sopranos Lee So-yeon, Son Jeong-yun, Kim Hee-jeong and Ko Jeong-ho, tenors Lee Dong-myeong, Kim Gi-seon, Lee Sang-ho and Yun Seung-hwan, and musical actor Lee Seung-han.

Several figures from the sports world are also among the honorees. Former basketball coach Choi Hee-am, KXO Korea 3x3 Basketball Federation fifth-generation President Park Geon-yeon and marathon runner Lee Bong-ju were selected as recipients. KBS basketball commentator Kim Eun-hye and sports caster Song Hee-tae were also named in the sports category.

Lee Il-seop, president of the Korea Entertainment Association. [Korea Entertainment Association]
Lee Il-seop, president of the Korea Entertainment Association. [Korea Entertainment Association]

The Korea Entertainment Association works to connect creators, companies, brands and influencers active in the entertainment industry and to expand exchanges between the cultural arts sector and other industries.

The association plans to use the ceremony as an opportunity to broaden the intersection of entertainment with healthcare, ESG and the brand industry, with culture and the arts at the center. It also intends to introduce individuals, companies and brands active across those fields to create more opportunities for cross-industry exchange.

The ceremony will be broadcast live nationwide.


ehkim@heraldcorp.com