Korean entertainment giant CJ E&M is now a member of the Broadway League, an association of Broadway theater owners and producers, the Seoul-based company said Monday.

The membership is expected to give the Korean firm a stronger foothold in the global performing arts industry, it said in a press release. CJ E&M is Korea’s first and Asia’s third to join the league after a Japanese and a Singaporean member.

“If a production has at least one member producer of the league, it can follow the standard procedure to make contracts and easily work with the unions for effective business,” the company said. “Also, members with active participation in the league receive voting rights for the Tony Award.”

CJ E&M has invested in, or produced, over 20 local and international productions over the past decade, including the recent Broadway success “Kinky Boots,” which is underway at Chungmu Art Hall through Feb. 22. The company is currently coproducing “August Rush,” a musical based on the critically acclaimed eponymous 2007 film, for a Broadway run.

Founded in 1930, the Broadway League represents theater owners, operators and producers across North America and around the world to promote their interest and negotiate agreements with Broadway unions and guilds. It also copresents the annual Tony Award with the American Theatre Wing.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)