Park Ji Hyun Makes History: First Korean Actress Ever Nominated for an International Emmy Award

Some milestones take decades to arrive — and this one just landed. Park Ji Hyun has become the first Korean actress in history to earn an International Emmy Award nomination, marking a landmark moment for Korean television on the global awards stage. Adding to the excitement, Disney+’s Hyper Knife also scored a nod in its own category, giving Korean content a strong double presence at this year’s ceremony.

What Are the International Emmy Awards?

Unlike the standard Emmys, the International Emmy Awards are handed out by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences specifically to honor television programming produced and aired outside the United States. That distinction makes Park Ji Hyun’s nomination especially significant — it places her among a global pool of talent recognized for excellence beyond the US market.

This Year’s Korean Nominations

Why Park Ji Hyun’s Nomination Matters?

Park Ji Hyun earned her nomination for Best Performance by an Actress, recognized for her lead role in the drama You and Everything Else. Being the first Korean actress to ever receive this specific nomination places her name permanently in the history of the awards — a milestone that reflects just how far Korean television performances have traveled onto the world stage in recent years.

Fans looking to catch her work can find her in the film Forbidden Fairytale and the recent drama Our Universe, both giving a sense of the range that likely contributed to her award recognition.

Hyper Knife Adds to the Momentum?

Alongside Park Ji Hyun’s individual nomination, Disney+’s Hyper Knife picked up a Best TV Movie/Mini-Series nod, further cementing Korean-produced content’s growing footprint in international awards conversations. Having both an individual performance and a full production recognized in the same cycle signals broader industry momentum rather than an isolated win.

What’s Next?

The 2026 International Emmy Awards ceremony will take place on November 23 in New York, where the industry will find out whether Park Ji Hyun and Hyper Knife can convert their nominations into wins. Regardless of outcome, both nominations mark another step in Korean television’s expanding presence within the broader International Emmy Awards, an institution that has increasingly recognized non-US storytelling excellence over the past two decades.

For more on Korean entertainment’s rising global recognition, check out TechnoSports’ coverage of K-content’s biggest international wins this year.

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