5 awarded Order of Cultural Merit, 2 receiving second-highest grade

The annual Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards, hosted and organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Creative Content Agency, was held Thursday evening at the National Theater's Haeoreum Grand Theater in Jung District...

The 28 recipients for this year's Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards pose on Thursday evening at the National Theater’s Haeoreum Grand Theater in Jung District, central Seoul. [KOREA CREATIVE CONTENT AGENCY]

The annual Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards, hosted and organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Creative Content Agency, was held Thursday evening at the National Theater's Haeoreum Grand Theater in Jung District, central Seoul.

The Order of Cultural Merit was awarded to five figures in the culture and arts.

The late actor Kang Soo-youn, who passed away in May, and “Decision to Leave” (2022) director Park Chan-wook were awarded the Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit, the second-highest grade.

Eungwan means silver crown.

The other three received the Bogwan (precious crown) Order of Cultural Merits: cartoonist Huh Young-man, famous for having his comics adapted into hit films and television series like “Tazza: The High Rollers” (2006), “Le Grand Chef” (2007) and KBS’s “Bridal Mask” (2012), screenwriter Park Jin-suk and actor Song Kang-ho.

Song is the first Korean actor to win the Best Actor Award at Cannes this year for his performance in film “Broker” (2022).

The ceremony awarded the Presidential Commendation to six recipients, the Prime Minister’s Commendation to eight recipients and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Commendation to nine recipients, including girl group aespa and boy band Tomorrow X Together.

The Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards was established in 2010 by the government to pay tribute to artists and workers in the pop culture industry.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]