Former SM Ent. President Lee Soo Man has officially returned to the music scene through A2O Entertainment.
According to a report from Maeil Business Star Today on October 10, Lee Soo Man is actively recruiting idol trainees and producers nationwide. While this is not a large-scale audition, it is working hard to recruit talented male and female trainees, including one from Gyeongnam, not Seoul.
Lee Soo Man applied for the trademark “A2O Entertainment” through his private company Blooming Grace earlier this year. A2O Entertainment promises to be a hub for developing entertainment businesses, sparking speculation about its possible return as a producer. His plans to debut a new idol group through this recruitment process are noteworthy, although he could also debut a group from another entertainment company.
Previously, when he sold his shares to HYBE in February last year, Lee Soo Man had signed a “non-compete” agreement, which prevented him from producing albums in South Korea for three years. With around a year and four months remaining before the clause is lifted, his return to the entertainment industry is entirely plausible.
Furthermore, in a recent interview in Chengdu, he expressed his ambition to organize survival shows in China, especially in this music city. He stated his desire to develop stars who can be loved by audiences for a long time rather than short-lived popular groups.
On October 25, A2O Entertainment released a video on social media platforms such as YouTube and Weibo, introducing a potential trainee group called “Rookies”, which includes 19 members, 18 from China and 1 from Japan. The video ended with the phrase “Produced by SM Lee”, establishing his role as producer. Notably, A2O does not use the term K-Pop but instead refers to it as “Zalpha-Pop”, indicating a target audience consisting of global Generation Z and Alpha generations.
Netizens have reacted harshly to Lee Soo Man’s education, claiming that he remains obsessed with China:
- Is he finally realizing his dream in China?
- He really likes China
- It seems he is still haunted by his dream in China. I don’t care if he has Sinocentrism or not. Just don’t let these guys debut in Korea.
- He seems to really like China… Wow ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹
- Grandpa, go live in China
- Okay, please earn a lot of money in China
Source: pann
