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| ▲ This file photo shows Lee Soo-man, chief producer and founder of K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment. (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- Lee Soo-man, former executive producer of SM Entertainment, has announced his return to the music industry through his newly established A2O Entertainment.
Industry insiders are now focused on whether this move aligns with the three-year non-compete agreement he signed with HYBE when he sold his shares in SM Entertainment last year, agreeing to refrain from domestic music production until early 2026.
On October 25, Lee introduced several trainee groups under A2O, such as "Rookies LTB" and "Rookies HTG," without specifying their debut timelines.
According to Lee’s team, the debut of new A2O artists will not violate the non-compete terms, as A2O is based in Singapore, with subsidiaries in the U.S., Japan, and China. This international scope supports A2O’s mission to nurture a diverse, global talent pool, distancing Lee’s work from the domestic restrictions outlined in his contract with HYBE.
Following his departure from SM Entertainment last March, Lee expressed a vision to take K-pop beyond its traditional boundaries, aiming to create "Zalpha-Pop" (targeting Generation Z and Alpha). He views this genre as the next step in K-pop’s evolution, focusing on sustainable, technology-integrated music for a global audience.
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