Lee Soo-man, the visionary founder of SM Entertainment and a pivotal figure in the global rise of K-pop, is stepping back into the industry with his latest venture, A2O Entertainment. The new agency recently shared a teaser video on YouTube, featuring 15 trainees organized into groups based on age and gender. A2O aims to operate as a collaborative platform for global artist development, where rookies will showcase their talents in solo or unit performances on the A2O Channel throughout their training.

A2O Entertainment is targeting the emerging “Zalpha generation” — a blend of Generation Z (born in the mid-1990s) and Generation Alpha (born in the 2010s). With this focus, the agency has introduced a new genre, “Zalpha-Pop,” designed to resonate with this younger, digitally-native audience.

This marks Lee’s return as a producer after more than a year and seven months since his departure from SM Entertainment, which followed a management dispute and his subsequent sale of SM shares to Hybe. After selling his 14.8 percent stake in SM Entertainment in February last year, Lee shifted focus to Blooming Grace, a company dedicated to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) projects and cultural technology. Blooming Grace later filed a trademark application for A2O Entertainment in May, laying the groundwork for Lee’s new agency.

The establishment of A2O has raised questions about whether Lee remains subject to a non-compete clause from his contract with Hybe, which prohibits him from engaging in any domestic entertainment business for three years. Reports suggest that Lee attempted to negotiate this clause’s removal, though Hybe reportedly denied the request. If the restriction is still in place, A2O Entertainment would have to operate outside South Korea, which aligns with the fact that a considerable number of its trainees are reportedly from China.

Known for his groundbreaking K-pop training system and for producing iconic groups such as NCT and aespa, Lee Soo-man’s new agency is being closely watched for its potential to influence the next generation of K-pop. With A2O, Lee aims to build a fresh legacy, potentially extending K-pop’s influence even further on the global stage.

Sayart / ReaA JUNG, queen7203@gmail.com