KEY POINTS

  • Kim Soo Hyun and Seo Ye Ji starred in "It's Okay Not To Be Okay" 
  • Another South Korean show, "I'Land," is nominated in the non-scripted category
  • "Tish Tash" is nominated in the Kids: Animation category

South Korean drama "It's Okay Not To Be Okay" has been nominated at the 49th International Emmy Awards in the TV Movie/Mini-Series category.

The popular series, which deals with mental health issues like depression, was released on Netflix in 2020. It was produced by Studio Dragon and debuted on TVN Network in South Korea.

"It's Okay Not To Be Okay," starring Kim Soo Hyun and Seo Ye Ji, will be competing with "Todas As Mulheres do Mundo" (All the Women in the World) from Brazil, "Atlantic Crossing" from Norway and "Des" from the United Kingdom.

The show previously won the Best Supporting Actor award (Oh Jung-Se) and Technical Award for costume design at the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards. It was well received by the international audience and was included in the New York Times' top 10 international shows of 2020.

"It was a perfect 3-beat work with excellent production, beautiful directing, and the actors' [great] performances. It is a project that continues to remain deeply inside all of the staff members' hearts. I hope [our nomination] will lead to the honor of winning the award," Studio Dragon's So Jae-Hyun said in a statement, Allkpop reported.

Another South Korean show, "I'Land," was nominated in the non-scripted category. It is a survival reality show that brought together the new boyband Enhypen in 2020. The other shows in this category include "Da's Liefde! (That's Love!)" from Belgium, "¿Quién es la Máscara" (The Masked Singer Season 2) from Mexico and "The Masked Singer" from the United Kingdom.

"Tish Tash" from Studio Gale/Big Crunch Entertainment/Korea Education Broadcasting System was also listed as a nominee in the Kids: Animation category for the International Emmy Kids' Awards.

Only one South Korean show has won an Emmy award so far. "Mom and the Red Bean Cake" received the International Emmy trophy in the Documentary category in 2010, according to Korea Times.

The winners of the 49th International Emmy Awards will be announced on Nov. 22.

Kim Soo Hyun
South Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun attends KCON 2015 at the Los Angeles Convention Center on August 2, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. KCON is an annual K-Pop convention held in the United States and Japan that celebrates the expansion of Korean pop culture known as "Hallyu" or "Korean Wave". Matthew Simmons/Getty Images