'Descendants of the Sun' wins big at KCC Broadcasting Awards 2017; film version in the works

A promotional image for "Descendants of the Sun." Facebook/descendantsofthesunDaebak

Almost a year after its finale, "Descendants of the Sun" continues to capture the attention of fans and critics all over Asia.

According to reports, the series was recognized by a prominent award-giving body once again and won the coveted Grand Prize at this year's Korea Communications Commission (KCC) Broadcasting Awards. Roughly 300 people from the Korean government sector and the broadcast industry attended the event, which was held on March 20.

For this award show, 338 projects were evaluated and the Grand Prize was eventually awarded to "Descendants of the Sun." The drama was praised for its excellent acting, script, along with its story of peace and devotion to helping humanity. Radio series "Barrier-free Opera" won the second prize, while 12 other titles snagged the third prize, including "Green Animal," "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God," and "Signal." Other popular Korean shows that received awards include "Goblin" and "Abnormal Summit."

Back in July 2016, it was announced that the hit Korean drama will be remade as a Chinese film. "Descendants of the Sun" took China by storm when it exclusively aired on the video streaming service iQiyi. According to reports, the show was viewed more than 2 billion times in China, which raised the ire of Chinese officials who have warned citizens of the social ills brought by watching too much Korean dramas.

Regardless, leading Chinese TV production group Huace Film & TV still bought the rights to reproduce the series into a film in China. "We won't rely on the reputation of the original drama but use it as a foundation to build a wholly new movie," director Zhang Yibai previously said. "We'd like to make a better one."

Set in the fictional Mediterranean country of Uruk, "Descendants of the Sun" follows the love story between army Capt. Yoo Si-jin (Song Joong-ki) and Dr. Kang Mo-yeon, a surgeon at Haesung Hospital.

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