‘Parasite’ Producer Miky Lee to Receive Ellis Island Medal of Honor

CJ Group vice chair Miky Lee, the power player behind Oscar history-maker “Parasite,” will add another honor to her collection when she receives the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

The executive, who has spent three decades as a driving force in elevating Korean entertainment to international prominence, joins an elite roster of 2025 honorees that includes Oscar winner Adrien Brody, Pfizer’s Albert Bourla and Nobel laureates Dr. James Patrick Allison and former Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu.

“We are thrilled to include Miky Lee as one of this year’s prestigious honorees,” the Ellis Island Honors Society said in announcing Lee’s selection. “Over the past three decades, Miky Lee, vice chair of CJ Group, has been instrumental in elevating Korean culture to the world stage. As the executive producer of groundbreaking films like ‘Parasite’ – the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for best picture – and ‘Decision to Leave,’ she has played a pivotal role in bringing Korean cinema to international prominence.”

Lee was an early DreamWorks investor in 1995. Her more recent producing credits include A24’s critically acclaimed “Past Lives,” which scored a best picture Oscar nomination.

The Korean business titan currently serves on multiple high-profile boards including the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Berklee College of Music, International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Hammer Museum and Otis College of Art and Design.

Ellis Island Honor Society chair Nasser J. Kazeminy described the awards gala as “a tribute – one that honors perseverance, accomplishment, and service,” noting the 85 honorees “exemplify the extraordinary potential of a nation built on freedom and opportunity.”

The Ellis Island Medals of Honor, officially recognized by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, boast an illustrious history of recipients since their 1986 inception, including eight U.S. presidents, Nobel laureates Elie Wiesel and Malala Yousufzai, cultural icons Frank Sinatra and Rita Moreno, civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks and legendary journalist Mike Wallace.

Lee’s latest accolade joins a collection that includes the 2022 International Emmy Directorate Award, Pillar Award from the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Korea’s Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit (2023) and the Atlantic Council’s Global Citizen Award (2024).

The ceremony will take place in Ellis Island’s Great Hall on May 10.