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Seoul International Drama Awards calls on global fans to vote for favorite stars

Published: 20 Jun. 2025, 10:48

LIM JEONG-WON
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Clockwise from left top, singer-actor IU, actor Park Bo-gum, actor Lim Ji-yeon, virtual idol group Plave, Doyoung of NCT and actor Kim Seon-ho [EACH AGENCY]

The 20th Seoul International Drama Awards is letting global fans decide the winners of two key categories — the Asia Star Award and Best K-Drama Original Soundtrack (OST) — with voting set to launch on Saturday.

The voting will run through July 20 via the Idol Champ app, a platform with users in over 230 countries and territories, according to the organizers of the awards. Organizers say the results will be determined solely by fan votes.

The Asia Star Award, one of the event’s most popular categories, honors actors who’ve gained popularity across Korea, China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines in the past year.

This year’s Korean nominees include heavy hitters such as IU and Park Bo-gum from “When Life Gives You Tangerines,” Lim Ji-yeon and Choo Young-woo from “The Tale of Lady Ok” (2024-), Park Eun-bin from “Hyper Knife” Hyeri from “Friendly Rivalry” and Kim Seon-ho from “The Tyrant” (2024).

International nominees include Japan’s Kentaro Sakaguchi, who built a massive fan base through roles in works such as “Beyond Goodbye” (2024), Filipino heartthrob Daniel Padilla, China’s Bai Yu who starred in “Guardian” (2018), Thai actor Namtan Tipnaree from “Pluto” (2024-) and Malaysia’s Annie Wong.

Meanwhile, the OST category features a stacked lineup of idol power: IU for “When Life Gives You Tangerines,” virtual idol group Plave for “Dear Hyeri” (2024), aespa’s Winter for “The Tale of Lady Ok,” NCT’s Doyoung for “Namib” (2024-) trot singer Young Tak for “For Eagle Brothers” and TXT for “Brewing Love” (2024) among others.

Full nominee lists will be revealed on Saturday on the Idol Champ app. Voters will also be entered into giveaways, including tickets to the live ceremony, set for Oct. 2 at KBS Hall in Seoul.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]