The Seoul Drama Awards 2009 have opened in Seoul for a ten-day run.

A total of 169 soap operas from 37 countries will compete in the annual global competition for television dramas. The award ceremony will be held on September eleventh at Olympic Park in Seoul.

On the first day of the event on Friday, various exhibitions, including a display of drama sets, were held at Gwanghwamun Plaza. The exhibits will be displayed through September 13th.

In an online poll for best drama, "Boys over Flowers" received the most votes, some 22-hundred, followed by "The Painter of Wind" and "Iljimae."

Kim Hyun-jung from "Boys over Flowers" won the most votes in the best actor category, while Moon Geun-young from "The Painter of Wind" won 47 percent of votes in the category for best actress.