Lee Byung-hun to receive presidential citation

Lee Byung-hun [Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

Actor Lee Byung-hun will receive a presidential citation for his contribution to the development of Korean pop culture and art, according to his agency BH Entertainment on Monday.

A press release by BH said that the actor, returning to Korea after five months of shooting the sequel to "G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra" in the U.S., will receive the recognition at an awards ceremony to be held in Seoul tonight.

"We selected Lee Byung-hun as a recipient in recognition of his contribution to making Korea known to the world through his successful expansion into Hollywood as a Korean actor," the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism was quoted as saying in the statement.

Other receivers of the citation include singer Kim Gun-mo, music producers Park Jin-young and Yang Hyun-suk, film director Hong Sang-soo and singers Jung Soo-ra and Girls' Generation.

Lee, one of Korea's most well-recognized actors and a household name in Japan as well, made his Hollywood debut in 2009 through the first “G. I. Joe" flick as character Storm Shadow.

He is set to take part in a number of activities for the remainder of the year including the 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) in Singapore on November 28 and then tour Japan in late December while preparing for his first-ever historical drama role in a Korean movie set to crank in around February of next year.

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