S. Korea's largest film awards to be held next month

SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Daejong Film Awards will be held next month, its organizer said Wednesday, vowing greater efforts to promote the country's most prestigious film awards overseas.

The 52nd Daejong (Grand Bell) Film Awards will take place on Nov. 20 in Seoul, with 27 categories of awards, according to its organizing committee.

In a move to promote the festival and Korean films in overseas markets, this year's ceremony will be broadcast live online in China and a new category for foreign films will be set up, it added.

"We are also pushing to invite North Korean producers and/or actors, through which we will be able to expand our horizon further," committee chief Kim Koo-hoe said in a press conference.

The committee also has invited all previous winners of the best actor and actress awards as a sign of harmony and to amuse fans, he added.

The event has drawn attention, as the festival, which has often been embroiled in controversy over its fairness and transparency, faced another crisis earlier this year when the former committee chief, Lee Kyu-tae, was arrested on allegations of fraud over defense procurement deals.

"I will help the Daejong Awards overcome difficulties and be the most beloved event," actor Choi Min-sik said. "After all, after a storm comes a calm."

The veteran actor, known for his lead role in the 2003 thriller "Old Boy," was named the PR ambassador, along with actress Son Ye-jin, of the Awards. Both won the best actor and actress awards last year.

As South Korea's equivalent of the Academy Awards, the Daejong was launched in 1962 to boost the quality of Korean films and to support the industry.

graceoh@yna.co.kr
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