Actor Daniel Dae Kim made honorary citizen of Seoul

US actor Daniel Dae Kim (left) receives a certificate of honorary citizenship from Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon at Seoul City Hall on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

US actor Daniel Dae Kim received a certificate of honorary Seoul citizenship on Wednesday, in recognition of his efforts in promoting Seoul through "Butterfly," an upcoming Amazon Prime Video series.

"Butterfly" is a spy thriller series that centers around the character David Jung, a former US intelligence operative living in South Korea. Kim is both the lead actor and the executive producer of the six-episode series.

Since February, Kim has been filming around several Seoul locations including the Han River, Seongsu-dong and the Cheonggye Stream. Production is also set to continue in and around Seoul until June.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon presented Kim with the certificate at an awards ceremony at Seoul City Hall.

“In bestowing honorary citizenship to Daniel Dae Kim, we would like to acknowledge the journey of 'Butterfly,' which chose Seoul as its filming location to promote the city’s allure,” said Oh. “This gesture symbolizes our recognition of (Kim's) artistic accomplishments and social contributions, which deeply resonate with us.”

Since 1958, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has awarded honorary citizenship to foreign nationals who have cooperated in promoting and developing the capital city while also becoming a model for Seoul’s citizens.

By granting Kim his honorary citizenship, the city government aims to “cultivate a more favorable atmosphere” among international film producers and to promote its Seoul Location Support Program which Mayor Oh initiated in 2007 to attract international productions into the city.

“Though I am a proud American citizen, I’m also immensely proud of my Korean heritage,” said Kim upon receiving the certificate. “Receiving this honorary citizenship brings together both my past and my present and has made me feel as welcome in Korea as I do in the US. I am deeply grateful to Mayor Oh and the Seoul Film Commission for this recognition and hope to make Korea proud.”

Kim is widely recognized for his television roles on ABC’s "Lost" and CBS’ "Hawaii Five-O," and is currently starring in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of "Avatar: The Last Airbender." He is also the executive producer for ABC’s "The Good Doctor," a US remake of the Korean series of the same title.

US actor Daniel Dae Kim speaks after receiving the certification of honorary citizenship of Seoul at Seoul City Hall on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

By Lee Jung-joo(lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com)