Eun-sook Kim receives Golden Bird Prize at Seoul International Drama Awards 2026

The Seoul Drama Awards Organizing Committee (SDAOC) announced on  September 29 that screenwriter Eun-sook Kim has been selected as the  recipient of the Golden Bird Prize at Seoul International Drama Awards 2026.  Kim is the writer behind numerous hit dramas, including “Lovers in Paris,”  “Secret Garden,” “Descendants of the Sun,” “Guardian: The Lonely and Great  God,” “Mr. Sunshine,” “The Glory” and “Genie, Make a Wish.” 

The Golden Bird Prize is the highest honor presented directly by SDAOC.  Recipients are selected based on a range of criteria, including depth of  message, originality, global appeal, and the achievements of creators and  productions that have expanded the artistic boundaries of television series.  This year, SDAOC cited “ONE & ONLY: Eun-sook Kim World,” “Storyteller of  the 21st Century” and “Worldwide Visionary” as the key reasons for selecting  Kim. 

■ From Min-sik Choi to Chan-wook Park, Ben Stiller and Eun-sook Kim —  First Screenwriter to Win the Golden Bird Prize 
Eun-sook Kim’s selection marks the first time a screenwriter has received  the Golden Bird Prize since its introduction. 

First presented in 2023, the Golden Bird Prize has honored productions and  creators whose work has earned recognition for both artistic excellence and  popular appeal while leaving a significant mark on the drama industry. In its  inaugural year, the prize went to the Disney+ series “Big Bet” and actor  Min-sik Choi. Director Chan-wook Park, co-showrunner and executive  producer of HBO’s “The Sympathizer,” received the prize in 2024, followed by  Ben Stiller, director of Apple TV+’s “Severance S2,” in 2025. 

While Min-sik Choi demonstrated the strength of K-drama through his  commanding performance, and Chan-wook Park and Ben Stiller expanded the  boundaries of television through distinctive direction and world-building, this  year the Golden Bird Prize goes to a writer who has captivated audiences  across genres, generations and borders through the power of storytelling. 

■ The “Eun-sook Kim World” Began with the 57.6% Hit “Lovers in Paris” —  Stories That Continue to Resonate 
Eun-sook Kim has continually taken on new storytelling challenges while  building a distinctive creative world that audiences can instantly recognize. Beginning with “Lovers in Paris,” which recorded a remarkable 57.6%  viewership rating, Kim established what became known as the “Eun-sook Kim  World” through works such as “Secret Garden” and “The Heirs,” known for  memorable characters and lines that became cultural phenomena. “Lovers in  Paris” received an Excellence Award in the drama category at the Korea  Broadcasting Awards and the Grand Prize (TV) at the 41st Baeksang Arts  Awards, while Kim received the Outstanding Korean Screenwriter prize at the  6th Seoul International Drama Awards for “Secret Garden.” Kim also has a long history with the Seoul International Drama Awards. 

After receiving the Outstanding Korean Screenwriter prize for “Secret Garden”  in 2011, she returns to the SDA stage 15 years later in 2026 as the recipient  of its highest honor, the Golden Bird Prize. At the 2011 ceremony, “Secret  Garden” also earned director Woo-chul Shin the Outstanding Korean Director  prize, while Ji-young Baek received the Outstanding Korean Drama OST prize. 

■ From Romance to War, Folklore, History and School Violence — “Stories  for the Times” 
Eun-sook Kim’s body of work has never been confined to a single genre. “Descendants of the Sun” explored love and conviction against the backdrop  of war and disaster, while “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” reinterpreted  traditional Korean goblin folklore through a contemporary lens. “Mr.  Sunshine” brought the stories of nameless individuals lost to history into dialogue with the present day. As the times have changed, Kim has  continually brought new themes and characters to the screen that resonate  with audiences. 

“Descendants of the Sun” won Excellent Korean Drama at the 11th Seoul  International Drama Awards as well as the Grand Prize at the Korea  Communications Commission Broadcasting Awards. Kim also received the  Grand Prize (TV) at the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards for 'Guardian: The Lonely  and Great God'.

Kim expanded her creative range once again with “The Glory.” Centered on  the revenge of a woman whose life was devastated by school violence, the  series offered an intense exploration of violence, trauma and human choices.  It also marked a departure from Kim’s established image as a romance writer  and generated a strong response worldwide. According to Netflix’s engagement  report for the first half of 2023, “The Glory” Season 1 recorded 622.8 million  viewing hours, ranking third among all titles on the platform. The series also  won Outstanding Korean Drama at Seoul International Drama Awards 2023. 

■ From “The Glory” to “Genie, Make a Wish” — “Eun-sook Kim’s Stories”  Reach Audiences Worldwide Eun-sook Kim’s stories now reach viewers far beyond Korea. In the 2025 Netflix series “Genie, Make a Wish,” Kim explored human desire,  love and choice through a fantasy romantic comedy centered on Genie, a  spirit who awakens after a thousand years, and Ga-young, a woman who  rarely experiences emotion. At the time of the series’ release, Kim highlighted  the characters’ emotions and desires unfolding around the premise of “three  wishes and countless temptations'.

“Genie, Make a Wish” also achieved strong global success following its  release, entering the TV Top 10 in 51 countries and reaching No. 1 on  Netflix’s weekly Global Top 10 list for non-English TV series. 

SDAOC selected Eun-sook Kim as this year’s Golden Bird Prize recipient in  recognition of her achievements as a creator who has built a distinctive  creative world and produced stories that continue to resonate over time; as a  21st-century storyteller who has continually sought out stories for the times;  and as a writer whose work has brought entertainment and emotional  resonance to audiences worldwide, extending the reach of K-drama far beyond  Korea. 

In a previous acceptance speech, Kim said that 'there is nothing new under the sun', while expressing her determination as a creator to continue  searching for something new. Over a creative career spanning more than two  decades, Kim has continually expanded her range, from romantic comedy to  fantasy, historical drama and revenge thrillers. The Golden Bird Prize at Seoul  International Drama Awards 2026 marks another milestone in that journey. 

The SDA 2026 Awards Ceremony will take place on Thursday, October 8, at  KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul. The ceremony will air live on MBC and stream  simultaneously on the official Seoul International Drama Awards YouTube  channel beginning at 4:55 p.m. KST

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