The South Korean drama “My Love from the Star” received the top prize for Outstanding Drama Series at the 9th Seoul International Drama Awards held in Seoul on Thursday.

The smash hit TV series won the top honor in the hallyu drama segment, outshining a slew of other popular TV shows. The second prize went to “The Heirs.”

“My Love from the Star” sparked a sensation in the first half of the year, garnering more than 2.5 billion views online in China and achieving an average viewership of 25 percent in Korea.

The drama’s immense popularity also helped its lead actor Kim Soo-hyun boost his standing in China.

In the drama, he played an alien who arrives in Korea by traveling through time from the Joseon era, 400 years ago, and ends up falling in love with a modern-day actress, played by Jun Ji-hyun.

For his acting in the show, Kim was named the winner of two prizes: most-favored actor among netizens and best actor.

The award ceremony, the only drama event held on a global scale, has been held annually since 2006 to promote cultural exchanges among different countries by bringing together TV dramas from around the globe.

This year, among 209 works from 50 countries, 24 dramas and 28 producers, actors and actresses were nominated for the awards.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)