Popular Korean actor Lee Byung-hun will receive an award at the 15th Asian Film Awards to be held alongside the 26th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) next month in Busan, South Korea.
Lee Byung-hun, 51, will be presented the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award, the first in Korea to receive it, at the 15th Asian Film Awards ceremony on Oct. 8 at Paradise Hotel Busan.
The Asian Film Awards is hosted by the Asian Film Awards Academy (AFAA), which was jointly established by the Hong Kong International Film Festival, the Busan International Film Festival, and the Tokyo International Film Festival.
The Excellence in Asian Cinema Award is bestowed on outstanding talents and is aimed at recognizing their achievements in and contributions to the Asian film industry and culture.
Lee Byung-hun, who appears on the No. 1 Netflix show “Squid Game,” has a career spanning three decades.
Through his film “Inside Men” in 2015, he won 10 best actor awards including the Korean Grand Bell and Blue Dragon Awards in 2016.
He was invited to the 88th Academy Awards in February 2016 and presented the Best Foreign Film award. He also appeared in Hollywood blockbusters including “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” in 2009 and “The Magnificent Seven” in 2016.
Lee Byung-hun previously won two best actor awards at the Asian Film Awards for “Inside Men” and “The Man Standing Next.”
With his most recent film, “Emergency Declaration,” he was invited to the Cannes Film Festival, taking the stage at the closing ceremony. He recently ventured into producing the Netflix film “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” in which he will also star.
“The Busan International Film Festival is proud to present Lee Byung-hun with the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award,” said Lee Yong-kwan, chairman of the 26th BIFF.
He added, “Lee’s contribution to Asian and world cinema is widely recognized by the audience and the film industry. His fearless attitude towards morphing into a completely different character in every film truly reflects Lee’s professional dedication. Throughout his distinguished career, Lee has honed his acting skills and worked to raise the standard of film art. His finesse and passion show that he is a great fit for the title of Excellence in Asian Cinema.”
The 15th Asian Film will be broadcast live on Naver and YouTube.