The Korea Drama Festival, South Korea's premier celebration of television dramas, will expand internationally for the first time with a São Paulo edition scheduled for next year. The groundbreaking announcement comes after a successful cultural exchange visit by São Paulo officials to this year's festival in Jinju, marking a significant milestone in Korean-Brazilian cultural cooperation.
The international expansion was initiated following a visit by the São Paulo International Cultural Exchange Delegation to the 18th Korea Drama Festival held in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, in early October. According to the Korea Drama Festival Organizing Committee, this historic expansion aims to foster deeper cultural collaboration and strengthen exchanges of Korean content between the two nations. The original festival, which has been celebrating Korean television excellence since its launch in 2006, will now bring its unique blend of awards, exhibitions, and cultural programming to Brazilian audiences.
São Paulo City Council member Marcio Kenji Ito, who led the 13-member delegation that attended the Jinju event, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership in a press release. "The Korea Drama Awards I witnessed firsthand in Jinju was more than just an awards ceremony, it was an event that showcased the cultural depth and industrial power of the Korean Wave," Ito stated. He emphasized the festival's comprehensive approach to celebrating Korean storytelling, noting its potential impact on Brazilian audiences who have shown growing interest in K-content.
"We hope to hold a similar festival in Brazil to share the stories and emotions of K-dramas with local audiences," Ito continued. He highlighted the broader significance of the collaboration, stating, "Cultural exchange and political cooperation between Korea and Brazil are highly meaningful and hosting the first Korea Drama Awards in São Paulo will serve as a symbolic starting point for that relationship." This partnership reflects the growing global influence of Korean entertainment and Brazil's position as a key market for Korean cultural exports in Latin America.
The 2024 Korea Drama Festival took place from October 10 to 19 at the Gyeongnam Culture & Arts Center and multiple venues along the Nam River in Jinju. The festival's centerpiece was the 16th Korea Drama Awards, which recognized outstanding achievements across 92 television series released over the past year. The comprehensive selection included productions from terrestrial networks, cable channels, general programming platforms, and streaming services, demonstrating the diverse landscape of Korean television content.
This year's awards ceremony featured 13 categories, including six fan-voted awards and seven main professional honors. Actor Ahn Jae-wook received the festival's most prestigious grand prize for his performance in "For Eagle Brothers." The best actor award went to Yook Sung-jae for his role in "The Haunted Palace," while Park Bo-young was honored as best actress for her performance in "Our Unwritten Seoul." SBS's "Our Movie" claimed the coveted best series award, highlighting the continued excellence in Korean television production.
Beyond the awards ceremony, the festival offered an extensive array of experiential and cultural programming designed to immerse visitors in Korean drama culture. Attendees could explore comprehensive exhibitions chronicling the history of Korean dramas, showcasing the evolution of storytelling techniques and production values over the decades. Additionally, the festival featured art showcases inspired by the year's most popular and critically acclaimed dramas, providing fans with unique opportunities to engage with their favorite content through various artistic mediums and interactive displays.
