Seoul International Drama Awards 2026: Kim Eun-sook, Ryu Seung-ryong, Lim Ji-yeon, Koo Kyo-hwan, and others to attend

The Seoul International Drama Awards Organizing Committee has revealed the attendees, hosts, and performance lineup for the 2026 ceremony. The ceremony will be held on Thursday, October 8, at KBS Hall, with Kim Nam-gil and Lee Jae-eun serving as hosts.

This year's stage will feature Golden Bird Award winner writer Kim Eun-sook, along with Ryu Seung-ryong, Lim Ji-yeon, Koo Kyo-hwan, ANTON of RIIZE, Anders Baasmo, Elizaveta Maximová, Jin Akanishi, Paulo Avelino, and Gladys Bay. Writer Kim Eun-sook, known for works such as ‘Lovers in Paris’, ‘Secret Garden’, ‘Descendants of the Sun’, ‘Guardian: The Lonely and Great God’, ‘Mr. Sunshine’, ‘The Glory’, and ‘Genie, Make a Wish’, will stand on the Seoul International Drama Awards stage again for the first time in 15 years since winning the Hallyu Drama Writer Award for ‘Secret Garden’ in 2011.

In the International Competition category, while the Norwegian production ‘A Better Man’ swept the Grand Prize, Writer Award, and Best Actor Award, producer Synnøve Hørsdal, cinematographer Daniel Voldheim, Writer Award winner Thomas Seeberg Torjussen, and Best Actor winner Anders Baasmo will attend. Elizaveta Maximová, who won the International Competition Best Actress Award for the Czech single drama ‘Mom’, will also be present. This reaffirms that the Seoul International Drama Awards is expanding its platform for exchange by bringing together domestic and international creators and actors every year.

Among the Korean winners, Ryu Seung-ryong of ‘The Dream Life of Mr. Kim’ will attend as the winner of the Best Actor Award in the International Competition category, and in the K-Drama category, Lim Ji-yeon of ‘My Royal Nemesis’ and Koo Kyo-hwan of ‘We Are All Trying Here’ will take the stage as the winners of the Best Actress and Best Actor awards, respectively. ANTON of RIIZE, who won the K-Drama category OST award for ‘Close to Me’ from ‘Yumi's Cells Season 3’, will also be in attendance.

Among the Asia Star Award winners, Jin Akanishi from Japan's ‘Romantics Anonymous’, Paulo Avelino from the Philippines' ‘The Alibi’, and Gladys Bay from Singapore's ‘Under the Net’ will attend. Presenters will include Jung Eun-ji, Um Ki-joon, Han Go-eun, Lee Yeol-eum, Park Kyung-hye, Lee Jae-won, Swings, Kim Min, Yoon Ji-sung, Choi Hyo-joo, and Lee Dong-ha. tripleS, P1Harmony, and Mimi will perform celebratory stages. The ceremony will be broadcast live through MBC and the official Seoul International Drama Awards YouTube channel, and the ‘Drama Festa’ will be held around Banpo Hangang Park and Seokchon Lake West Lake from October 9 to 10.