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- CJ ENM and Hakuhodo Announce Joint Venture
- Aims to Leverage Each Company’s Core Strengths to Create Innovative Content and Unlock New Opportunities in Global Music Industry Through JV
- First Collaborative Project to be Co-Production Survival Show ‘Unpretty Rapstar: HIP POP Princess,’ Set to Premiere in October
Leading entertainment company CJ ENM today announced the establishment of a joint venture with Hakuhodo Inc., a leading integrated marketing and innovation company headquartered in Tokyo.
The joint venture, named ‘Chapter-I,’ will focus on creating new music intellectual properties with global reach, expanding beyond Asia. The name represents the first chapter where dreams begin, symbolizing a fresh start for both companies and reflecting the new direction the two partners aim to pursue together through this partnership.
Through the planned joint venture, the two companies will leverage each company’s core strengths to create content and unlock new possibilities in the global music industry. CJ ENM brings its expertise in creating music content and developing talent through its MCS (Music Creative eco-System), which encompasses IP planning, platforms, and management, whereas Hakuhodo contributes its data-driven market solutions and marketing capabilities. This project aims to lead industry trends through innovative audition formats that meet evolving audience needs and appeal to diverse audiences.
Under the partnership, the first collaborative project will be the Korea-Japan co-production survival show Unpretty Rapstar: HIP POP Princess, scheduled to premiere in October this year. This will be the global version of Mnet’s groundbreaking female rapper survival program Unpretty Rapstar, which first aired in 2015 as Korea’s first-ever female rapper competition series. This new global version brings together teams behind Unpretty Rapstar and Street Woman Fighter, along with Hakuhodo’s marketing expertise, to discover new versatile global artists with skills across rap, dance and music production.
The joint venture will also extend beyond program production. This will include talent development, music production and content distribution, live performances and merchandising. This partnership is a testament to both companies to redefine how global music content is created, distributed and consumed in the rapidly evolving global music landscape.
The joint venture comes as a part of CJ ENM’s global music business roadmap for 2025, focusing on three key pillars — Global Label, Global Content and Global Platforms, for its music business. This strategy aims to strengthen its position in the global music industry and spearhead global expansion of K-pop.
8월. 19. 2025 - KCON LA 2025 Closes Out Another Successful Weekend
- First-time ever Livestreamed on Prime Video, Twitch in Partnership with Amazon Music
- City of Los Angeles Officially Designated August 1 as KCON Day
- 125,000 Attendees Enjoyed World’s Largest K-POP Fan & Artist Festival Over Three Days, with 107 Companies, 358 Booths and 37 Acts
KCON LA 2025, presented by Olive Young, held from August 1-3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena, has wrapped up another phenomenal year, featuring the most performing stages across the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena. This year also marked the first time ever the event was livestreamed in partnership with Amazon Music on Prime Video and Twitch.Since 2012, KCON has played an important role in facilitating the global connection between emerging K-pop artists and their fans, launching them into the forefront of the global K-pop scene. This year’s lineup included a dazzling array of K-drama stars and K-pop icons. At the X STAGE, talented rookies made their mark on global audiences, proving their presence on the international stage. The X STAGE also hosted a special fan meetup with YIM Siwan, the K-pop idol-turned-actor who rose to stardom for K-drama Misaeng:Incomplete Life and also starred in Squid Game.KCON’s signature performance is the “DREAM STAGE,” during which fans have the opportunity to dance on-stage with their favorite K-pop stars. This year’s DREAM STAGEs with legendary K-pop icons NCT 127, MONSTA X and HxW (SEVENTEEN) were particularly memorable, showcasing KCONers’ diverse and immense talent.For the first time, KCON LA 2025 was streamed worldwide on Amazon Prime and Twitch through a partnership with Amazon Prime, bringing the electrifying energy of KCON to a wider audience. Amazon Prime used the weekend to announce the creation of a brand new K-pop playlist that will be available moving forward on their music streaming platform.Continuing its mission to bring the most access to the stars of Korean pop and entertainment, KCON LA 2025 featured a total of 37 acts, from rookies to veteran K-pop idols and acclaimed actors. The event included 358 booths and 107 participating companies, serving as a gateway for global market expansion. Over the three-day event, 125,000 attendees enjoyed the festival on-site, while fans around the world joined virtually through digital platforms.The excitementment wasn’t just on stage. The K-COLLECTION with KCON exhibition zone featured 50 small and medium-sized Korean companies representing top brands in beauty, lifestyle, food, and fashion. Tous Les Jours created a festive 'Happy Birthday'-themed booth with interactive events and immersive brand experiences, while CJ CheilJedang set up a booth where visitors could sample K-food and take photos. The 'K-Story & Comics' area gave fans the unique opportunity to explore popular mobile webtoons in person. Many other brands also proved hugely popular with their product displays and engaging activities.This year was extra special for KCON with the City of Los Angeles officially designating August 1, 2025, as “KCON Day,” in recognition of the world’s largest K-POP Fan and Artist festival for its cultural, social, and economic contributions since its debut in 2012. This marks the first official city-level recognition of KCON LA. City Councilmembers John Lee, Katy Yaroslavsky, Curren Price, and Heather Hutt co-sponsored the resolution, citing KCON’s decade-long impact on Los Angeles’ culture, landscape, tourism, and economy.“Having KCON officially designated as ‘KCON Day’ in Los Angeles — where KCON first established its roots — gives us an even greater sense of purpose,” said Harry H.K.Shin, Head of Music Entertainment at CJ ENM. “We're incredibly grateful for the participation and support from so many K-pop and Korean culture fans and we want to express our heartfelt thanks to all the artists who brought such exceptional talent and passion to the stage."8월. 04. 2025 - CJ ENM Launches "First Light StoryHouse" with Miky Lee, Janet Yang and Dominic Ng to Elevate Asian and Asian American Stories Worldwide
Today, leading entertainment company CJ ENM announced the launch of the dynamic and groundbreaking “First Light StoryHouse” - a label created under its new Asian Content Initiative, designed to amplify Asian voices worldwide. First Light StoryHouse will focus on identifying and supporting authentic Asian and Asian American stories and introducing them to global audiences. The vision for this effort was conceived and set into motion by Miky Lee, Vice Chairwoman at CJ; Janet Yang, producer and recent President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; and Dominic Ng, Chairman and CEO of East West Bank. Lee, Yang, and Ng will jointly oversee the endeavor as founding partners.
First Light StoryHouse will strategically select and support the development of film and scripted TV projects led by talented Asian creators. These projects will span a variety of genres, themes and cultural perspectives, celebrating the richness of Asian experiences in the United States and around the world. The label will focus on the development phase, investing early and participating as a co-producer to help bring compelling, market-ready projects to life. Upon completion of the development process, the label will work to secure partnerships with studios, production companies and streaming platforms.
The goal of First Light StoryHouse is to amplify the voices and narratives of creators who are Asian or of Asian descent, ensuring their stories resonate with global audiences while also establishing a sustainable business model for long-term support. Through high-quality film and scripted TV content that showcases the Asian diaspora, the label aims to elevate historically underrepresented perspectives in both Hollywood and the international entertainment industry.
Driving growth and advancing the representation of Asian voices across the industry, Lee, Yang and Ng will lead the effort, providing strategic direction and shaping its creative vision.
"Recent successes from Asian storytellers have shown the potential and authenticity of their stories,” said Miky Lee. “Through this effort, we aim to spotlight these voices, believing in the power of storytelling to bridge cultures. Janet Yang and Dominic Ng have long championed this mission, and together, we are committed to empowering these stories on the global stage."
Janet Yang shared, “In Miky Lee and Dominic Ng, I’ve found kindred spirits - true champions for cross-cultural storytelling. Given CJ’s game-changing contributions to global culture and Dominic’s commitment to building cultural bridges, we’ve discussed our aligned interests over many conversations and have decided to create a venture together. I couldn’t be more privileged to partner with them on this endeavor.”
“At East West Bank and beyond, I’ve long strived to support artistic endeavors that are forces for good,” said Ng. “I deeply admire leaders like Miky Lee and Janet Yang, who not only pursue their dreams but make the dreams of others come true. This joint effort behind First Light StoryHouse will serve as a powerful connector between the East and West, fostering deeper understanding and expanding opportunities for creative voices. I’m honored to help build this bridge alongside CJ ENM.”
First Light StoryHouse will be managed by CJ ENM under the leadership of Jerry Kyoungboum Ko, Head of CJ ENM’s Global Film Business.
CJ ENM is renowned for championing Asian stories in Hollywood. Its remarkable achievements at the Cannes Film Festival highlight the global impact of Asian cinema, with Park Chan-wook earning Best Director for his crime thriller <Decision to Leave>, backed by CJ ENM. Bong Joon-ho’s <Parasite> broke barriers as the first non-English-language feature to win Cannes’ prestigious Palme d’Or in 2019 and later made history at the 2020 Oscars, winning Best Picture and three additional awards.
Most recently, <Past Lives> - a poignant film co-distributed and co-financed by CJ ENM and A24 - earned nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the 2024 Oscars. CJ ENM continues to broaden its appeal to global audiences with bold projects, including <Bugonia> - an English-language remake of the South Korean cult classic <Save the Green Planet!> with Yorgos Lanthimos directing and Emma Stone starring - and <No Other Choice>, a new film directed by Park Chan-wook and starring Lee Byung-hun (Squid Game) and Son Ye-jin (Crash Landing on You).
7월. 29. 2025