SEOUL (THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - South Korean actor Hyun Bin has won the grand prize at the APAN Star Awards on Saturday (Jan 23) for his role as a North Korean soldier in the popular TV series Crash Landing On You (2019 to 2020).

His award came after entertainment company CJ ENM announced on Friday that he will reprise his role as North Korean agent Lim Cheol-ryeong in the sequel to Korean action film Confidential Assignment (2017).

On Saturday, Hyun, 38, thanked his girlfriend Son Ye-jin, 39, who played his on-screen lover in Crash Landing On You, while accepting the award.

"I am also grateful to Son Ye-jin, whose Yoon Se-ri was the perfect partner for Ri Jung Hyuk. It was thanks to her brilliant acting as Yoon Se-ri that Ri Jung Hyuk was able to shine," he said, referring to the two characters in the TV series.

The couple confirmed on Jan 1 they are dating in real life after South Korean tabloid Dispatch broke the news earlier in the day.

Meanwhile, the original Confidential Assignment was a movie about an inter-Korean secret police mission. The film at the time attracted more than 7.81 million viewers.

Hyun's character Lim in the previous film was dispatched to South Korea to capture his superior Cha Ki Seong who murdered his wife and fellow team members.

In the new movie, Hyun's character will again be dispatched to South Korea to hunt down a leader of a North Korean criminal organisation. This time the North Korean agent will show how more comfortable he became working on his mission in South Korea.

Along with Hyun, veteran actor Yoo Hye-jin and Yoona of Girls' Generation, both of whom appeared in the original movie, will also star in the sequel.

In addition, Korean-American actor Daniel Henney and veteran Korean actor Jin Sun-kyu will join the cast.

The film will be directed by Lee Seok-hoon, who is known for directing hit movies like The Himalayas (2015) and The Pirates (2014), with shooting due to begin in February.