By Lee Kyoung Mi and Kim Minji

Actor Shim Eun-kyung will be the first Korean actor to co-host Japan's Academy Awards on March 19.

The official website of the awards on Jan. 27 said Shim was selected to co-host the event with Japanese announcer Shinichi Hatori, with the actor having won Best Actress at last year's ceremony.

"Last year, I was grateful to win such a valuable award, and this year, I'll be participating as an emcee," she said. "This is my first time as an emcee and I'm studying Japanese very hard so that I can properly deliver my words."

Shim is active in Japan and won the Academy Award last year for her role in the Japanese film "The Journalist." She also won Best New Actress and Best Actress honors at other film festivals in Japan.

She also appears in the forthcoming Japanese movie "The Garden of Camellia" slated for release in April.

Meanwhile, "Parasite" by director Bong Joon-ho has been nominated for Best Foreign Film in Japan, with the movie said to have the highest possibility of winning Best Picture.

The Japanese Academy Awards will nominate outstanding works in major categories and announce the winners on the day of the ceremony.

km137426@korea.kr