Leading entertainment company CJ ENM announced today the honorees of “2024 Visionary,” awarded to the visionaries who spearhead trends and innovations in the entertainment industry.
The seven honorees of “2024 Visionary” are as follows (in alphabetical order):
KANG FULL, Kim Yong-hoon, Monika, Ryu Seung-ryong, Song Hye-kyo, Stray Kids, and UHM JUNG HWA.
Actress Song Hye-kyo and director Kim Yong-hoon inspired the entertainment industry and creators by expressing hyperrealistic stories that many people could resonate with. Song Hye-kyo was widely acclaimed for her acting transformation in the Netflix original series The Glory, produced by CJ ENM’s premium storyteller group Studio Dragon, in which she portrayed a former victim of school violence seeking revenge. With The Glory: Season 1 ranking top 3 in Netflix’s biannual engagement report for the first half of 2023, the series was recognized for raising social awareness of school violence.
Mask Girl, the Netflix series produced by the CJ ENM subsidiary studio Bonfactory, tackled discrimination, sexuality, beauty standards, and numerous social issues. Director Kim Yong-hoon’s creative approach and artistic direction, casting three actresses to each represent the different facets of a single character, positioned him as the rising shape-shifter of the industry.
UHM JUNG HWA and Stray Kids are unrivaled artists who showed their own interpretation of what it means to be unique in ways relevant to current times and trends. A legendary figure both as an actress and a singer, UHM JUNG HWA proved her status as a multilayered entertainer in the JTBC TV series Doctor Cha and tvN reality show Dancing Queens on the Road. She also successfully wrapped up her first concert in 24 years, showcasing her identity as a prominent female solo artist in Korea.
Music group Stray Kids radiates a global influence that extends far outside of Korea, reaching many fans across the globe. Topping the Billboard 200 chart with all four albums released since 2022 and scoring their first Billboard Hot 100 entry with LALALALA in 2023, their accomplishments as a self-produced group with an exceptional musical identity are setting new global milestones for the K-pop industry.
Author KANG FULL, actor Ryu Seung-ryong, and choreographer Monika proposed newness that led to the target audience expansion. As key figures of the Disney+/Hulu series Moving, author KANG FULL and actor Ryu Seung-ryong established new genres and characters with their originalities. Author of the original webtoon series, KANG FULL made his debut as a screenwriter with the series rendition, proposing a new genre of “K-superhero series” with a slow but convincing, people-centric story.
Ryu Seung-ryong is an actor with a boundless spectrum who breaks the boundaries of his character. Having starred in more than four Korean films that amassed more than 10 million audiences including Extreme Job and Miracle in Cell No. 7, Ryu Seung-ryong has positioned himself as an unparalleled actor in the Korean film industry.
Choreographer Monika starred in the STREET WOMAN FIGHTER series as a contestant in season 1 and returned as a judge in season 2. Viewers resonated with her sharp analysis and compassion for the contestants. As a leader of the Korean dance scene, she consistently expands the boundaries and bolsters the reputation of K-dance. She is also the first choreographer to be honored as a “visionary.”
A CJ ENM representative remarked, “The ‘visionaries’ who introduced new outlooks with their unparalleled creativity and impact are not only triumphs of the industry but also the future of Korean entertainment. The upcoming ‘Visionary Awards’ will be the first moment of the year where constructive discussions for the entertainment industry will begin. CJ ENM will continue to fulfill its responsibility to propose a new vision for K-entertainment.”
Meanwhile, CJ ENM revealed a special artwork reflecting the iconic moments of the seven honorees, created in collaboration with rising Korean artist Orbit Studio. CJ ENM will host the “2024 Visionary Awards” on January 7th to present the awards and celebrate the accomplishments of this year’s visionaries.
Past Visionary Honorees
*In alphabetical order
2023- (G)I-DLE (music group)
– Chung Seo Kyung (writer)
– Kim Hye Soo (actress)
– IU (musician and actress)
– Lee Jin Ju (producer)
– Lee Jung Jae (actor and director)
– Don Lee (actor)
– Nah Yung Suk (producer)
– Park Chan Wook (director)
– Park Eun Bin (actress)
2021- aespa (music group)
– BTS (music group)
– Choi Jung-nam (producer)
– Hwang Dong-hyuk (director)
– Youn Yuh-jung (actress)
– Yu Jae-seok (TV personality)
2020- BLACKPINK (music group)
– Bong Joon-ho (director)
– BTS (music group)
– Kim Eun-hee (writer)
– Kim Tae-ho (producer)
– Park Ji-eun (writer)
– Rain (musician and actor)
– Shin Won-ho (producer)
– Song Kang-ho (actor)
– Yu Jae-seok (TV personality)
Evaluation Process
“2024 Visionary” honors icons who propose a new vision in the entertainment industry with their originality and impact as “visionaries”. The five selection criteria are △Only One achievement that established a substantial presence with unprecedented achievements in the Korean entertainment industry, △boundless impact that stretches across various industries even outside of entertainment, △shift of perspective creating new values that break down stereotypes, △unique creativity coining new genres and characters and △global influence that goes beyond regional boundaries. The evaluation process involves quantitative data, expert insight from 60 CJ ENM specialists, and global indicators relevant to our times and trends.
