Hark-Joon Lee is a filmmaker, journalist, and practice-based researcher at the University of Oxford, where he serves as a Research Fellow. He is a Korea Fellow with the Oxford Character Project, developing research and interdisciplinary initiatives on global K-culture and its cultural, political, and industrial impact.
He began his career in journalism, contributing to Korea’s transition from print to digital and cross-platform media through initiatives including NoCut News, Kuki News, and the Cross-Media Project. As a filmmaker, his work explores culture, ethics, and human rights, with a particular focus on North Korean defector issues and the lived experiences of displaced communities. His documentary 9 Muses of Star Empire, which addresses the darker side of K-pop and issues of women's rights within the industry, premiered in competition at IDFA, and Crossing Heaven’s Border has contributed to international discussions on North Korean human rights.
His work has been internationally recognised, including three Emmy Award nominations, a Golden Nymph at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, and the Asia Society Osborn Elliott Press Prize in the United States. His journalism has also received major Korean and Asian honours, including the Korea Journalist Award, the Samsung Press Award, the Korea Newspaper Award, the Amnesty Human Rights Press Awards, and the Asia Human Rights Press Awards. His films have been broadcast and distributed globally by major international broadcasters such as the BBC, PBS, and NHK, as well as on platforms including Netflix and Amazon Prime. His work and insights have also been featured in major international media, including The New York Times and The Washington Post.
He holds a Doctor of Fine Arts (DFA) from Dongguk University and an M.S. in Journalism from KAIST, and was an Associate Professor at Kyungil University. He is currently developing K-pop-based educational curricula aimed at expanding access to cultural and creative education across the Global South.
Publications
K-Pop Idols; Cómo se fabrica un género global en la industria musical coreana (Malpaso, Spain, 2026)
Behind the Spotlight: From War to K-Pop (Sayu‑wa Gonggam, South Korea, 2025)
K-Pop Idols (Bloomsbury / Lexington Books, United States, 2019)
Crossing Heaven’s Border (APARC at Stanford University, United States, 2015)
9 Muses of Star Empire (Munhakdongne Publishing, South Korea, 2014)
天国の国境を越える――命懸けで脱北者を追い続けた1700日 (Toyo Keizai Inc., Japan, 2013)
我想活得像個人：脫北者的邊境血淚故事 (Dajia Publishing, Taiwan, 2014)
Unexpected Life (Hyehwadong Publishing, South Korea, 2013)
I Wanted to Live as a Human (Sam & Parkers, South Korea, 2012)
- 'Ambición, miedo y suicidios en la fábrica de talentos del K-pop' - El Mundo (2026)
- 'For North Koreans in China, Seeking Freedom is More Perilous Than Ever' - The New York Times (2023)
- 'From BTS to Squid Game: How South Korea Became a Cultural Juggernaut' - The New York Times (2021)
- 'This Journalist Didn't Just Interview North Korean Defectors, He Followed Them On Their Escape' - The Washington Post (2015)