Shinhwa Kim Dong-wan's TV special "Zenith" garners grand prize at int'l film festival

Shinhwa member Kim Dong-wan [Shinhwa Company]

MBC’s drama special “Zenith,” in which Shinhwa member Kim Dong-wan stars as the lead, has gone international by receiving a grand prize at the 2012 Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival last week.

The show garnered the award under the “TV Special ?Dramatic” category at one of the oldest international film festival held between April 13 and 22, the group’s promoter Shinhwa Company said in a press release on Tuesday.

The award-winning pic was aired in Korea last year as a special program to commemorate South Korea’s Independence Day on August 15.

It depicts the story of the legendary Korean poet Lee Yook-sa, who fights for Korea’s independence during the Japanese colonial period.

The name Lee Yook-sa came from his cell number 264 (pronounced as ‘lee yook sa’), and the poet later faces death at the age of 40 while fighting for Korea’s sovereignty.

"I loved the script and just couldn't stop reading them once I start with it. I can't thank the scriptwriter Hwang Jin-young enough for his amazing work," Kim said in the statement, expressing his joy after hearing the news.

"I felt that something was missing after the show ended its airing, and had asked myself if I was able to express my emotions well in playing the character. But I'm very glad that 'Zenith' has received such an honor."

While pursuing his solo activities, Lee has not only been active in the small screen projects but also in films and musicals including his upcoming movie "Yongasi" (tentative title) and musical "Hedwig."

Other Korean TV series that were chosen as finalists at the annual festival include KBS' "Thank You for Making Me Smile," "White Christmas" and "Baby Faced Beauty."

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