South Korean actress Yoon Jung-hee has received the Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters award from the French Government.

Yoon, who played the heroine in the award-winning film "Poetry," received the top order on Wednesday from France’s culture minister, Frédéric Mitterrand, at the French Ministry of Culture and Communication.

Yoon was initially set to receive the Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters award, which is one grade lower than the “officer” award. However, Mitterrand decided to present a higher order to Yoon after highly regarding Yoon’s contributions to films.

Yoon’s husband, pianist Paik Kun-woo, received the chevalier in 2001. With Yoon receiving the award, Yoon and Paik have become the first Korean couple to receive the top order from the French government.

Established in 1957, the Order of Arts and Letters is presented to cultural figures who have made significant contributions to the arts or literature or the promotion of these areas.