Actor Song Seung-heon and pop group Girls` Generation received accolades from the government on Wednesday for their contributions to Korea`s pop culture industry and the Korean Wave boom across Asia, according to Yonhap News.
The minister of culture, sports and tourism, Yu In-chon, awarded the annual Distinguished Korean Wave Entertainer Award to the entertainers in a ceremony attended by some 150 entertainment industry figures and lawmakers.
"The global expansion of Korean Wave content not only increased economic value-added profits to the industry but also contributed to enhancing the prestige of the nation," Yu said in a speech before the award ceremony.
Korean Wave, or "Hallyu" in Korean, refers to the widespread popularity of Korean culture and entertainment around the world, especially in Asia. The boom is believed to have begun with television dramas and pop music in the late 1990s and now encompasses a broader range of content including films and computer games.