Korean actors Park Seo-joon, Park Min-young and Korean singer Kim Jae-joong were awarded at the 2018 Cosmo Beauty Awards in Shanghai on Wednesday.

Cosmo Beauty Awards is an annual event organized by global fashion magazine Cosmopolitan in various countries across the globe. Celebrities across the fields of movie, drama, sports, fashion and more are invited.

(Kim Jae-joon's Instagram)

(Park Min-young's Instagram)

(Park Seo-joon's Instagram)

Critics say the Korean stars’ participation for this year’s event in China is more meaningful than usual as it signals improved prospects for the lifting of China’s tacit restrictions on Korean stars’ activities there.

China sees the US’ Terminal High Altitude Area Defense in South Korea as a threat to its national security. Since 2016 when the ban was most pronounced, Korean stars have not been invited to events in China.

Chinese singer Han Geng, a former member of K-pop group Super Junior, and Chinese member Cheng Xiao of K-pop girl group WJSN were also present at this year’s Cosmo Beauty Awards.

Korean stars who have graced the Chinese awards ceremony in the past include actors Kim Tae-hee, Kim Soo-hyun and Gong Hyo-jin.

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)