Miky Lee, the vice chair of Korea’s CJ Group, was awarded the Asian Hall of Fame’s Centennial Medal of Lifetime Achievement in Los Angeles. The medal was presented by K-pop pioneer Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment and current key producer at A2O Entertainment.
Lee Soo-man, who has been friends with Lee for more than 50 years, noted that Lee had introduced him at the same event a year prior, calling him the godfather of K-pop. He told the audience, “Well, tonight, I’d like to return the favor. If I am the godfather of K-pop, then Miky Lee is the godmother of K-culture.”
The Asian Hall of Fame awards the medal to individuals it considers to be people of strong character who have raised the bar in their industries, made a cultural mark, and worked across racial lines. Lee was recognized for more than 30 years of connecting Korea with international audiences through television, music, and film.
Lee Soo-man recalled meeting Lee when he was a college student and she was a middle schooler, stating, “But even then, she was already the boss.” He shared a story from a few years ago when he was in Dubai and received a phone call from Lee telling him to wait for her; she then flew in from the U.S. the following day. He did not disclose the purpose of the visit but added, “I’ve learned over the years that it’s very difficult to say no to Miky Lee.”
Reflecting on 1995, when CJ was primarily known as a food company, Lee Soo-man said, “Korea was hardly a major player in the global entertainment industry. But Miky saw something others didn’t.” He credited her with helping steer the investment in DreamWorks that year, transforming the Korean film industry through CGV, and helping turn the MAMA Awards and KCON into global platforms.
In her acceptance speech, Miky Lee stated, “Culture is like oxygen. We may take it for granted, but we cannot live without it.” She attributed this belief to her grandfather, who founded both CJ and Samsung, and who reportedly liked to say, “No culture, no country!” Lee explained that she and her brother Jay took those words to heart while running the food business, recalling that they said, “We’ve been entertaining people’s mouths. Why not their eyes and ears, too?”
