Former SM Entertainment Chief Producer Lee Soo Man Unveils Documentary “Lee Soo Man: King of K-Pop”

Lee Soo Man, the founder of SM Entertainment and its former chief producer, has resumed his public activities through the documentary “Lee Soo Man: King of K-Pop,” which tells his own story. Directed by Ting Poo, this 1 hour and 47 minute documentary was released on May 13 via Amazon Prime Video. It traces Lee Soo Man’s journey from his beginnings in the traditional city of Jeonju to his work at SM Entertainment, documenting the highs and lows of the K-pop industry. Lee Soo Man is regarded as the figure who led SM Entertainment for approximately 33 years and created some of the most popular groups in K-pop history, including EXO, SUPER JUNIOR, aespa, Girls’ Generation, Red Velvet, NCT, TVXQ, and SHINee. He is especially considered the driving force behind the global spread of Korean culture, particularly music, dramas, and films, often referred to as the “Hallyu wave.” Lee Soo Man left SM Entertainment in March 2023 due to a series of logistics issues and management disputes, an event briefly covered in the documentary. Around 300 key figures from the music and film industries attended the Hollywood premiere and afterparty held on Monday local time at NeueHouse Hollywood in California. Among them were prominent K-pop stars who had collaborated with Lee Soo Man during his time at SM Entertainment. Choi Siwon of SUPER JUNIOR, Taemin of SHINee, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, and Sunny of Girls’ Generation were present. Hyoyeon took to the stage as DJ HYO, while Sunny, who is currently training as a producer at Lee Soo Man’s new agency A2O Entertainment, also drew attention. Members of the rookie girl groups A2O Rookies and A2O May under A2O Entertainment also attended, demonstrating Lee Soo Man’s active role in producing overseas talent. In 2023, Lee Soo Man sold his shares in SM Entertainment to HYBE and, as part of the deal, agreed to a non-compete clause that restricted his production activities in Korea for the next three years. However, such restrictions do not apply to his work abroad. Through A2O Entertainment, he is now focusing on producing global talent whose rosters consist entirely of non-Korean members. As a pioneer who helped shape the growth of first-generation K-pop idols, Lee Soo Man played a foundational role in the industry’s global expansion. The fact that many of those at the premiere are no longer affiliated with SM Entertainment suggests industry expectations regarding Lee Soo Man’s potential influence once the non-compete clause expires.