The Academy established honorary awards to recognize outstanding Asian filmmakers who contributed to the Asian film industry. After announcing Hong Kong martial arts star Sammo HUNG as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award and Japanese star ABE Hiroshi as the recipient of the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award, the Academy announced today that the AFA Next Generation Award for the 16th edition will be given to JI Chang-wook in recognition of his career achievements.

Majoring in Film in university, South Korea’s JI Chang-wook has acted in numerous hit TV series since making his debut in 2008. His popularity and acclaimed performances have brought him praise from audiences in South Korea and abroad. TV series Healer, which Ji starred in, was an enormous hit with audiences across Asia. In addition to the Popular Actor award at the KBS Drama Awards, the series also earned him the Most Popular Actor (Overseas) award at the China TV Drama Awards, proving his appeal across Asia. In recent years, JI has also acted in films. As the lead in Fabricated City, he dominated the screen as the small-time hero, showing off his hard work in the incredible fight scenes.