Maggie Kang, the director of the animated series "K-Pop Demon Hunters," has received the Order of Cultural Merit for promoting the excellence of K-culture globally and contributing to the development of the content industry. Kim Won-seok, the producer of "When Life Gives You Tangerines," and Park Ji-eun, the writer of "Queen of Tears," received the Medal of Cultural Merit.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency held the "2025 Korea Content Awards" ceremony at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul, on Thursday, presenting government commendations and awards to 24 industry figures and 15 outstanding content works that contributed to the development of the content industry.
Director Kang, who produced "K-Pop Demon Hunters" — the most popular animated series in Netflix history — and significantly influenced K-culture and related industries, received the Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit. Producer Kim, who directed popular dramas including "Misaeng," "My Mister," and "When Life Gives You Tangerines," and writer Park, who penned "My Love from the Star," "Crash Landing on You," and "Queen of Tears," received the Medal of Cultural Merit.
In the overseas expansion category, Park Young-seok, CEO of Pan Entertainment, and Yoon Hyun-joon, CEO of Studio Slam, received Presidential Citations. In the broadcasting and video industry development category, writer Mo Eun-seol was honored, while in the gaming industry development category, Kim Hyung-tae, CEO of Shift Up (462870.KS), and Park Jung-moo, Vice President of Nexon Korea, received Presidential Citations.
In the webtoon category, "Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint" by UMI and Sleepy-C won the Presidential Award. In the animation category, Mofac Studio's "King of Kings" was honored, while in the character category, Toytron's "Dalnimi" received the Presidential Award.
"Global interest in K-culture and K-content is higher than ever before," Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young said. "We will spare no effort in providing comprehensive support so that the content industry can continue to advance onto the world stage."
