Actor Ji-hyun Park has earned a nomination for Best Actress at the International Emmy Awards for her performance in the Netflix drama series What Comes After Love, marking a first for a Korean actress in that category.
International Emmy Nomination and Competitors
The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for the 54th International Emmy Awards on Sept. 23, placing Park on the ballot for her work in the streaming hit. Park faces competition in the Best Actress category from Mona Mina Leon of Belgium for Holy Sh*t, Barbara Mori of Mexico for Lucas World, and Sheridan Smith of the United Kingdom for I Fought the Law, according to the announcement released on Sept. 25.
Plot and Character Dynamics in What Comes After Love
Released in September of last year, What Comes After Love traces the decades-long relationship between two friends, Ryu Eun-jung and Cheon Sang-yeon, who admired and envied each other from childhood. Kim Go-eun stars as Ryu Eun-jung, while Park plays Cheon Sang-yeon. Park portrays a character raised in an affluent environment who carries inner wounds and deprivation, capturing complex feelings of admiration, jealousy, and a mix of love and hate toward Eun-jung.
Global Viewership and Prior Accolades
The series gained word-of-mouth traction by focusing on decades of friendship, rivalry, and shifting affections rather than sensational plot twists. In its second week of release, it logged 1.7 million views to land at number five on the Netflix global top 10 non-English series chart, alongside a second-place ranking in domestic TV and OTT integrated drama buzz. Critical recognition followed when the series won Best Work and Best Screenplay in the broadcasting division at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards in May, followed by the grand prize, Best Creative, at the 2026 Global OTT Awards in June.
Additional Korean Nominations and Ceremony Schedule
Another Korean project, the Disney+ series Hyper Knife starring Park Eun-bin and Sol Kyung-gu, secured a nomination in the TV Movie/Mini-Series category. Hyper Knife competes against Spain’s The Anatomy of a Moment, Brazil’s Oxygen Mask Will Not Drop Down Automatically, and the United Kingdom’s Prisoner 951. Across all 16 categories, this year’s International Emmy Awards features 64 nominees spanning 22 countries. Winners will be announced on Nov. 23 at the 54th International Emmy Awards ceremony in New York City.
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