CJ Lee Mi-kyung: "Good Opportunity to Enter US Market, Need to Strategize and Prioritize"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jong-gil] Lee Mi-kyung (62, English name Mickey Lee), vice chairman of CJ Group, which invested in and distributed the film Parasite, is attempting to establish Korean cinema in Hollywood.

On the 12th (local time), in an interview with the American entertainment media Hollywood Reporter, Vice Chairman Lee was asked about the strategy for entering Hollywood after Parasite. She stated, “We must first create an environment where all creators can produce diverse content.” She added, “We need to have a foundation that produces unprecedented and diverse content, and I always keep that in mind.” She continued, “We must establish and localize content that can go overseas,” emphasizing, “It should not be simply remade.”

Parasite won four awards at the Academy Awards on the 9th. It overcame both the barrier of subtitles and conservative traditions, becoming the first non-English language film to win Best Picture. Vice Chairman Lee said, “I focused my utmost efforts on promoting all kinds of Korean content, believing that people would eventually consume Korean content.” She added, “Now is a really good opportunity to enter Hollywood, and we need to devise strategies and set priorities. We must now have more detailed and sophisticated strategies.” When asked if there was a goal to challenge for more awards, she replied, “We cannot make films only for the Academy Awards,” and said, “Our role is to encourage further progress.”

[Image source=Yonhap News]

She also explained in detail the background of her acceptance speech when Parasite won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Vice Chairman Lee said, “Honestly, when the microphone went down, I didn’t know it meant I had to leave the stage and thought it was a technical mistake,” adding, “If I had known that the microphone going down meant I had to leave the stage, I wouldn’t have given a speech.” She continued, “Director Bong Joon-ho (51) said he had talked a lot and that I should give a speech. I also saw Tom Hanks (64) and Charlize Theron (45) shouting ‘Go for it.’”

Vice Chairman Lee also introduced that the outfit she wore at the Academy Awards was inspired by the Parasite poster that covered the eyes of the cast. The costume, made by layering black fabric, was inscribed with English promotional phrases for Parasite and lines from the film. She said, “I thought it would be interesting if the outfit conveyed some meaning of Parasite.”

After the awards ceremony, Vice Chairman Lee hosted a celebration for the Parasite team at the restaurant ‘Soho House’ in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. The legendary American music producer Quincy Jones (87), who worked as Michael Jackson’s producer, also participated. Vice Chairman Lee expressed gratitude, saying, “He has been my mentor for a long time. He advised me, ‘When you are true to yourself, you can accept all other cultures and people.’”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.