By Xu Aiying and Yoon Hee Young
Video = Straits Times' official YouTube channel

Korea.net has named Hwang Dong-hyuk, creator and director of the Netflix smash series "Squid Game," the "brightest Korean in 2021."

Staff of the multilingual government portal on all things Korean selected Hwang from among seven nominees for the honor based on the number of articles they produced this year.

The other nominees were actor Lee Jung-jae from "Squid Game"; "Minari" actor Youn Yuh-jung, the first Korean to win an Oscar for acting in the nation's 102-year film history; volleyball star Kim Yeon-koung, who led the national women's volleyball team to a semifinal berth in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics; star striker and national soccer team captain Son Heung-min; and K-pop sensations BTS and BLACKPINK.

Min Yea-Ji, German-language staff writer at Korea.net, said, "'Squid Game' is a great work that demonstrates both cinematic quality and popularity."

Vietnamese-language writer Park Hye Ri said, "It's the first Korean drama to accomplish such a huge achievement on the over-the-top (OTT) market."

And French-language writer Jung Joo-ri said, "Hwang is the creator of this year's most popular series."

Debuting with the film "My Father" in 2007, Hwang earned attention for his original plots and high quality productions through movies such as "Silenced" (2011) and "The Fortress" (2017). "Squid Game" marked his debuts on both the OTT platform and in making a TV series.

Released in September, the drama is the first from Korea to top the streaming giant's global charts, where it stayed No. 1 for a Netflix-record 47 days.

Foreign media have also heaped praise on the director. He was named to this year's "Bloomberg 50" by the U.S.-based news service and honored as "Asian of the Year 2021" by the Straits Times of Singapore.

Bloomberg called "Squid Game" the most popular TV program in Netflix's history, while the Singaporean daily said, "The Netflix series created by Mr. Hwang has emerged as more than a mere television show. It has taken South Korea's global cultural influence - already high - to the next level."

Such heated popularity and acclaim on Dec. 13 earned the series three nominations from the Golden Globe Awards of the U.S.: Best Drama Series, Best Television Actor - Drama Series (Lee Jung-jae) and Best Supporting Actor - Television (O Yeong-su).

xuaiy@korea.kr