Miky Lee, the vice chairwoman of the South Korean conglomerate CJ Group, is set to deliver the 2025 USC School of Cinematic Arts’ (SCA) commencement address, the school announced Tuesday morning. Lee was set to give the SCA commencement ceremony last year but she did not end up delivering the address due to a last-minute scheduling conflict, according to an SCA spokesperson.
Past SCA commencement speakers include Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Matt Reeves, Donna Langley, Paul Feig, Jim Gianopulos and Jeffrey Katzenberg.
“Miky Lee is a champion of artists and storytellers and a trailblazer in the evolution of multinational film collaborations,” said Elizabeth M. Daley, Dean of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. “Her career stands as a global model of success in the creative industries, and her dedication to creating cultural connection is an inspiration for us all.”
Lee is known for founding and leading CJ’s entertainment and media division, CG ENM. She led the company’s investment in DreamWorks SKG in 1995, which acquired the rights to distribute DreamWorks films in Asia. Additionally, as an executive producer, she was responsible for the pioneering and historic film Parasite, which was the first foreign-language film to win the Oscar for Best Picture at the 92nd Academy Awards in 2020. Her other acclaimed works include Decision To Leave and Broker, which won Best Director and Best Actor awards at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, and Past Lives, a nominee for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the 96th Academy Awards.
Lee also founded CJ CGV, the largest multiplex movie theater cinema chain in South Korea with locations in seven countries.
Aside from the film industry, Lee has promoted Korean culture worldwide through her creation of KCON, the world’s largest K-culture and music festival and the MAMA Awards, the world’s premier K-pop awards show.
Lee serves on several boards, including at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Hammer Museum and Berklee College of Music.
SCA’s commencement ceremony will be held Friday, May 16, at 1 p.m. at the Shrine Auditorium.