Leading entertainment company CJ ENM held the “2024 Visionary Awards & Open House” in Seoul on January 7th to propose a vision for the “next entertainment”.

The 2024 Visionary honorees KANG FULL, Kim Yong-hoon, Ryu Seung-ryong, Monika, and UHM JUNG HWA attended the event to receive the awards. Also, producer Choi Jung-nam and choreographers Lip J and Hyojin Choi from the “STREET WOMAN FIGHTER” series, and numerous CJ ENM representatives joined the 2024 Visionary Awards & Open House to celebrate the special moment of Korean entertainment together. 

The motif behind the theme of the ceremony was the Dondeokejon Hall, the recently revived historic building within Deoksugung Palace used for diplomatic purposes during the Korean Empire era. Key figures of the present gathered at a place that resembles a symbol of the past to discuss the future of entertainment.

Miky Lee, Vice Chairwoman of CJ ENM, remarked in her congratulatory message, “The creators and artists honored as the ‘2024 Visionary’ are the key players who showed the world that K-content is striving despite extended economic uncertainty. As a global IP powerhouse and a huge supporter of these creators and artists, CJ ENM will continue to provide them opportunities and inspiration.”

Upon receiving the awards, the honorees of “2024 Visionary” also shared their thoughts on the roots of originality, their own visionaries, and their insight on the future of K-entertainment. Writer and cartoonist KANG FULL chose work ethic as his source of inspiration, and Ryu Seung-ryong chose unpredictable reactions from audiences as his own visionary. UHM JUNG HWA expressed her gratitude as she said, “Today I realized that I made the right decision when I took the path that brought me excitement and passion,” and Monika remarked, “As I’m being showered with compliments, I’m getting more determined to become a good person who can bring positive influence. I will cherish this miraculous moment as I move forward into my future.”

Koo Chang-gun, CEO of CJ ENM, said “The Visionary Awards does not end with the ceremony, but rather, it begins from it. As the ‘visionaries’ are honored for their originality and influence, the award presentation signals the beginning of new conversations and adventures. This ceremony marks the start of the year where constructive feedback and ideas are exchanged to propose a vision for K-entertainment.”

Ahead of the awards ceremony, CJ ENM held the first “2024 Visionary Conference” on January 5th to share with members of the CJ ENM company insight and inspirations for the “next entertainment” they will be crafting. The conference covered the latest industry trends, shifts in entertainment businesses with the rise of AI, and various inspirational sessions that can prompt the next potential visionaries.

Director of Netflix original series Mask Girl (2023) Kim Yong-hoon grew his dream of becoming a creator while he was part of CJ ENM’s Film Business Division. Sharing his experience, Kim Yong-hoon said, “Some say I got lucky, but you need to have courage for luck to find you. An adventure like casting three actresses for one character as in Mask Girl was possible because I had the courage not to conform.”

At the conference, CJ ENM also introduced “LAIVE,” the AI songwriting service to be launched by its investment partner “Pozalabs.” The conference was followed by workshop sessions where members of CJ ENM could learn how to use LAIVE’s AI technology and also discuss what is next for entertainment content and culture.