30 Years of K-pop’s Global Expansion: Lee Soo Man’s Vision Reaches the Grammys

Lee Soo Man, founder of SM Entertainment, was inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame, earning international recognition as a pioneer in K-pop’s global spread. At the induction ceremony in November, he was honored alongside basketball legend Yao Ming, Olympic figure skating champion Michelle Kwan, and rock icon Yoshiki.

Since founding SM Entertainment in 1995, Lee Soo Man has driven K-pop’s globalization for nearly 30 years. In a recent interview, he revealed that he initially resisted the title “King of K-pop.” Despite his suggestion that “Father of K-pop” might be more appropriate, the documentary team at Amazon Prime argued that “King” would convey a stronger message to American audiences. He ultimately decided to follow the team’s judgment.

Early attempts to introduce K-pop into the U.S. mainstream music market were not smooth. In 2009, Lee Soo Man invested around $5 million to launch BoA’s U.S. debut with the song “Eat You Up.” This was one of the early cases of a Korean artist working under Western-produced material, but market response was weak due to the scarcity of Asian artists in American pop culture at the time. BoA, who was already a mega-star in Korea and Japan, halted her U.S. activities about two years later.

However, Lee Soo Man’s 30-year relentless efforts are now bearing fruit. At this year’s Grammys, crossover K-pop projects have achieved unprecedented success. Various crossover K-pop initiatives, including girl group Katseye, Rosé’s single “APT.,” and Netflix’s animated musical “KPop Demon Hunters,” have been nominated in major Grammy categories, boosting international visibility.

“KPop Demon Hunters” stands out as the most successful project created by the K-pop industry. Ejae, whose real name is Kim Eun-jae and who voiced the purple-haired pop star Rumi in the film while also serving as a co-composer and producer, has an interesting background. She joined SM Entertainment as a trainee at the age of 11 in 2003 but was released by the company in 2015 despite over a decade of preparation. SM’s explanation was straightforward: “The company has a specific musical vision and sound that you do not fit.”

After graduating from NYU Tisch’s Clive Davis Institute, Ejae began working as a composer on the periphery of the industry, contributing to songs for various SM groups such as Red Velvet, Twice, and aespa. Through a connection with film composer Daniel Rojas, she participated in the Netflix project. Based on the feedback from the directors who heard her demo, she was given the dual role of voice actress and composer. Her song “Golden,” featuring her voice, dominated the Billboard Hot 100 in 2025 and has now received a nomination for Song of the Year at the Grammys.

Lee Soo Man emphasized that his induction into the Asian Hall of Fame confirms that “K-pop is a genre now attracting mainstream attention.” Even after leaving SM Entertainment, his activities continue. He launched the new band A2O MAY simultaneously in China and the U.S., and he is investing in boutique companies in China that possess advanced production technologies. His interest in visualization, cutting-edge production techniques, and virtual avatars—rooted in his background in computer science—persists, to the point where he revisits and studies filming techniques from “The Matrix” to further explore these areas.