On Dec 13, the “2023 Korea Content Awards Ceremony” at the National Museum of Korea

CJ ENM Vice Chairperson LEE Mi Kyung will receive the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit, and Raemongraein CEO KIM Dong Rae will receive the Culture Merit Medal

Selected as the Cartoon Grand Prize for “I’m the Grim Reaper,” the Animation Grand Prize for “Catch! Teenieping” and the Character Grand Prize for “Cookie Run”

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister YU In Chon, MCST) together with the Korea Creative Content Agency (Director CHO Hyun Rae, KOCCA) will hold the 2023 Korea Content Awards Ceremony at the National Museum of Korea on December 13 (Wed) and present government awards and certificates to 38 people and outstanding content that have contributed to the development of the Korean content industry this year.

Celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, the “Korea Content Awards Ceremony” is an event that awards the Order of Merit, Merit Medal, and other distinctions to content industry workers who have led the global cultural flow of K-content, including outstanding content works. This year, 23 people will be recognized for outstanding works in three categories: Overseas Expansion Merit, Broadcasting Video Industry Development Merit, and Game Industry Development Merit, and 15 projects will be awarded in three categories: Animation, Character, and Cartoon.

CJ ENM Vice Chairperson LEE Mi Kyung Contributed to the Growth of the Korean Film and Entertainment Industry and Was Awarded the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit

Vice Chairperson LEE Mi Kyung of CJ ENM will be awarded the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit. Since 1995, Vice Chairperson LEE has been a key player in the growth of the Korean film and content industry, establishing CJ Entertainment, a film investment and distribution company, and CGV, Korea’s first multiscreen theater. In addition, she was also the executive producer of the film “Parasite,” a historical milestone for K-content after winning four awards, including Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Picture, and Best International Feature Film, at the 92nd Academy Awards in 2020. She also produced “Decision To Leave,” a nominated film at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in 2022, and “Broker.” In particular, LEE also received the 50th International Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2022 for playing a pivotal role in the tangible and intangible growth of Korean popular culture and the global trend of K-Culture, recognizing her contributions to the global spread of the Korean Wave and the development of the Korean cultural content industry. Currently, she serves as the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, contributing to raising the global status of Korean culture.[1]

KIM Dong Rae, CEO of Raemongraein Co., Ltd., Was Awarded the Culture Merit Medal for Promoting the Excellence of K-Content on the Global Stage

The Cultural Merit Medal is awarded to KIM Dong Rae, CEO of Raemongraein Co., Ltd. During his 30-year career in the drama production field, CEO KIM has produced dozens of works that combined both artistry and popularity, such as “Sungkyunkwan Scandal,” “Extraordinary You,” “Semantic Error,” and “Reborn Rich.” He has also promoted the appeal of Korean broadcasting content. In addition, as a producer, he recognized the importance and added value of content intellectual property (IP) early on and secured IP rights for several works. This provided an opportunity for independent production companies to secure IP rights for their content, creating added value to their works. In addition, “Reborn Rich,” which became a sensation in Korea as the top-grossing drama in 2022, recorded the highest viewership rating of 26.9% in miniseries. It was also broadcasted in more than 170 countries around the world through over-the-top (OTT) platforms and was ranked as the “Most Viewed Content” in Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Thailand, leading to the global popularity of K-dramas and contributing significantly to the development of the broadcasting industry.

In the Meritorious Overseas Expansion, All Doors One Room (ADOR) CEO MIN Hee Jin and Com2uS Production Manager JUNG Min Young Will Receive a Presidential Citation

In the category of Overseas Expansion Merit, ADOR CEO MIN Hee Jin and Com2us Production Manager JUNG Min Young will receive the Presidential Citation. CEO MIN Hee Jin has worked as an art director for idol groups for the past 20 years and has successfully branded idols such as EXO and Red Velvet, earning her a reputation as a pioneer in K-pop. In 2021, she established the label “ADOR,” and strategically produced NewJeans’ hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 within six months of their debut, and all three of their albums sold over one million copies. Having presented a new paradigm for K-pop, she was also named in the “2023 Billboard Women in Music” and “Global Influential Women” lists by Variety in 2022. Executive Production Manager JUNG Min Young has developed several mobile games that have been loved in Korea, including “Summoners War: Sky Arena,” “Home Run Battle series (Home Run Battle 3D, Home Run Battle 2),” and “Inotia 2: A Wanderer of Luone,” and has promoted the excellence of K-game. He also pioneered overseas markets such as North America and Europe. In particular, “Summoners War: Sky Arena,” which was released in Korea in April 2014 and in the global market in June 2014, has accumulated over 200 million downloads and surpassed KRW 3.2 trillion in cumulative sales. Additionally, it is a global mobile game with more than 90% of its sales coming from overseas. Upon its release, it topped charts in Korea and aborad, growing into a long-term box office IP for over nine years.

For Broadcasting and Motion Picture Industry Development Merit, Director CHO Sung Hyun and Writer YANG Hee Seung Will Receive a Presidential Citation.

In the category of broadcasting and motion picture industry development merit, Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Director CHO Sung Hyun of “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal” and writer YANG Hee Seung of “Crash Course in Romance” will receive the Presidential Citation. Director CHO Sung Hyun directed the Netflix series “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal,” garnering excellent reviews for raising the level of documentaries addressing pseudo-religion. It ranked fifth in Netflix’s global viewing, proving the competitiveness of Korean documentaries. Writer YANG Hee Seung wrote “Crash Course in Romance,” which encompassed various genres, such as romance, thriller, and humanism. Gaining popularity and topicality by enhancing the perfection of drama, it became the top movie on Netflix’s daily chart in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan, contributing to the spread of the Korean Wave.  

In the Game Industry Development Merit, the Principal of Gyeonggi Game Meister High School, JUNG Seok Hee, and Ognamenet (OGN) Studio CEO NAM Yun Seung, Will Receive a Presidential Citation

In the category of game industry development merit, JUNG Seok Hee, the principal of Gyeonggi Game Meister High School, and NAM Yun Seung, CEO of OGN, will receive a presidential citation. Principal JUNG Seok Hee has contributed to nurturing future talents in the game field based on his diverse career as a game developer. In particular, he took part into the revitalization of industry-university cooperative vocational education, including the opening of Gyeonggi Game Meister High School, the first game-specialized high school in Korea, and the Game Institute. CEO NAM Yun Seung launched OGN, the worlds first e-sports channel, and has operated various leagues, such as “StarCraft” and “League of Legends.” Moreover, he was recognized for his contributions to the popularization of e-sports by running a professional gaming team and building an e-sports stadium.

Fifteen Works Will Be Awarded in Three Categories, Including the Cartoon Grand Prize for “I’m the Grim Reaper,” the Animation Grand Prize for “Catch! Teenieping” and the Character Grand Prize for “Cookie Run”

In the Cartoon category, the grand prize (Presidential Award) will be awarded to the webtoon “I’m Grim Reaper,” which was written by IM Jae Won and based on the subject of martial arts. This work depicts a young boy named “Jongnichu” who murdered a warrior from Salcheonmun to revenge his brother, becoming the legendary “Samuryeong” to escape the pursuit of Salcheonmun and find freedom. It has an authentic martial arts story, and the writer has consistently created comics until recently and stood out for his directing, gaining excellent reviews from readers and media critics.

In the Animation category, SAMG Entertainment’s animated television series “Catch! Teenieping” will receive the grand prize (Presidential Award). The animation depicts Princess Romi of the Emotions Kingdom, solving various daily incidents with her friends and understanding each other’s feelings. It recorded the highest viewership rating of 18.5% and was also produced as a musical, establishing itself as a representative of children’s content and ranking first in ticket sales in the children’s category. Based on its high level of production completion, from scenarios to worldviews and characters, it is expanding beyond Korea to overseas, such as China and Japan.

In the character category, “Cookie Run” of Devsisters will receive the grand prize (Presidential Award). Cookies with the worldview of “The Sweet Adventures of Cookies who Escaped the Witch's Oven” are the main characters and has emerged in the character market since 2013. Over the past 10 years, it has achieved cumulative sales of KRW 1 trillion, accounting for over 40% of overseas sales, and has grown into an original IP loved by domestic and international fans.