Miky Lee, right, vice chairperson of CJ Group, speaks with Daniel Dae Kim in a scene from CNN documentary series “K-Everything.” / Courtesy of CNN International

A new CNN documentary shines a light on Korean entertainment mogul CJ ENM’s 30-year commitment to culture, examining how the company grew from an early investor into a main builder of “hallyu,” or the Korean wave.

In particular, the documentary emphasizes CJ’s foundational role in the film industry, dating back to its 1995 investment in DreamWorks.

That move is highlighted as the starting point for a sustainable industrial framework that allowed titles such as director Park Chan-wook’s “Joint Security Area” (2000) and Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” (2019) to reach global audiences.

As the Cannes Film Festival is underway, the series revisits CJ’s long-standing relationship with the prestigious event. It credits the company’s unwavering support for filmmakers like director Park, whose “Oldboy” (2003) won the Grand Prix in 2004, and Bong, whose “Parasite” secured the Palme d’Or in 2019 before its historic four-Oscar win in 2020.

“Miky Lee was one of the ones who were insisting that one day Korean culture would be at the center of the world,” Kim said in the series. He added that the group’s investment helped aspiring directors by providing “a place to showcase their movies.”

Lee, vice chairperson of CJ Group, appeared in the documentary to reflect on the industrial philosophy inherited from her grandfather and CJ founder, Lee Byung-chull.

“Entertainment business is making intangible assets into a tangible, lucrative business,” Lee said. “You need to build infrastructure that the creators and artists can continue to create the storytelling and their performance and their creative activity.”

Regarding the success of “Parasite,” Lee admitted that the global impact of the film exceeded expectations. “It hit me later just how significant that moment was and that our storytelling could resonate beyond Asia,” Lee said.

The series also explores the “industrial ecosystem” of K-pop, citing platforms like KCON, the MAMA Awards and audition program “Superstar K” as key infrastructure that turned a cultural trend into a structured global business.

Source: Korea Times News