CJ's Jaehyun Lee and Mikyung Lee Meet UMG Chairman at KCON in the US

Discussing Expansion of K-pop in the Global Music Market

On the 16th (local time) at KCON LA 2026 held in Los Angeles, USA, pictured from left: Jaehyun Lee, Chairman of CJ; Mikyung Lee, Vice Chairman of CJ; Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group. Provided by CJ ENM

CJ ENM announced on the 20th that Jaehyun Lee, Chairman of CJ, and Mikyung Lee, Vice Chairman of CJ, met with Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group (UMG), at "KCON LA 2026" held in Los Angeles, USA, on the 16th (local time). They discussed changes in the K-pop and global music and content markets, as well as potential for collaboration.

UMG, led by Chairman Grainge, is a highly influential record and music company in the global music market. This meeting took place as CJ has been expanding its overseas K-pop and Korean content business through KCON.

CJ first launched KCON in the United States in 2012. KCON is an event centered around K-pop performances, and also showcases Korean beauty, food, and content. Since then, it has expanded its locations to the United States, Japan, and other countries, establishing itself as a major overseas K-culture business.

Since the 1990s, Chairman Lee has developed the cultural industry into a core business sector for the group, continuing investments in content areas such as film, music, and broadcasting. Vice Chairman Lee has also led CJ's cultural business and fostered exchanges with global film and music industries.

CJ ENM's music channel Mnet announced a partnership last month, on the 15th, with REPUBLIC Collective, which is under UMG, for the global girl group debut project "Girls Planet 2027."

The two companies plan to cooperate throughout all phases of the program, from discovering and developing participants to the activities of the final debut group both in the US and globally. This is a collaboration that connects CJ's K-pop production and platform business with UMG's overseas music distribution and business network.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.