Miky Lee Wins Asian Hall of Fame Medal for Global Entertainment Work

CJ Group vice chair Miky Lee accepted the Asian Hall of Fame’s Centennial Medal of Lifetime Achievement in Los Angeles. The award recognizes her more than 30 years of connecting Korean entertainment with international audiences. K-pop pioneer Lee Soo-man presented the medal and called Lee the godmother of K-culture.

Lee Soo-man, who founded SM Entertainment and now produces at A2O Entertainment, has known Lee for over 50 years. They first met when he was a college student and she was in middle school. He described her early recognition of entertainment potential when CJ was known primarily for food. He cited her leadership in CJ’s 1995 investment in DreamWorks, the creation of cinema operator CGV, and the global growth of the MAMA Awards and KCON.

Lee stated that culture is essential to life. Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and raised in Seoul, she attributed this belief to her grandfather, the founder of CJ and Samsung. His saying, No culture, no country!, guided her and her brother Jay as they expanded the family business into entertainment. She viewed the DreamWorks deal as a chance to learn from top filmmakers rather than seek Hollywood status.

CJ introduced CGV in 1998 as Korea’s first multiplex and later launched Studio Dragon. Lee also discussed the creation of Mnet, which helped younger generations discover Korean music. She noted that American pop once held nearly 85% of songs on Korean television, a balance that reversed by the 2000s. The MAMA Awards, started in 1999, and KCON, launched in the United States in 2012, have since brought Korean music, food, and beauty to cities like Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.

Lee listed Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon Ho, Lee Chang-dong, and Hwang Dong-hyuk as collaborators. She served as an executive producer on Bong’s Parasite, which won four Oscars in 2020. The film became the first non-English-language movie to win best picture. She also pointed to Lee Isaac Chung, Maggie Kang, and Celine Song as filmmakers whose work reaches global audiences.

CJ ENM recently launched First Light StoryHouse to support Asian creators through direct investment and co-production. The Asian Hall of Fame, an educational and research institution, also honored Blackpink’s Rosé and Japanese baseball player Nomo Hideo at its 22nd induction ceremony. Guests included Tiger JK, Yoon Mi-rae, Yoshiki, Amy Homma, Lisa Joy, Maja Hoffmann, and Ram Shriram.