K-POP Revived Through Films and Documentaries... SM’s Lee Soo-man Enters Asia’s Hall of Fame as “King of K-POP”

The global expansion of Korean popular culture is moving beyond music to include various visual content such as films, documentaries, and animations. K-POP films have become more than mere musical records; they serve as vital mediums for introducing an entire industry and a nation’s cultural identity to the world. The 2020 film “The Rise of K-pop” demonstrated how Korean music, which originated from 1970s Korean ballads like trot and gayo, transformed global pop culture. The K-POP industry, which began with the Debut of Seo Taiji and Boys in 1992, incorporated new elements such as hip-hop, rap, and dance beats, giving rise to major agencies like SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment. This documentary tracked the process by which music, choreography, and fashion combined to define a genre, while also exposing the strict system within the K-POP industry where thousands of hours of training blur the line between everyday life and dreams. BLACKPINK’s documentary “BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky” documented how Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa traveled from various parts of the world to Korea in 2016 and transformed into global superstars over four years. Despite amassing hundreds of millions of views on YouTube and Spotify and appearing on the covers of Vogue and Rolling Stone, they were once trainees who practiced from dawn until dusk to perfect their skills before debuting. This film revealed the sacrifices, homesickness, and harsh evaluation practices hidden behind the glamorous image of the K-POP industry, creating a new level of connection with fans. Lee Soo-man, the 73-year-old founder of SM Entertainment and regarded as one of the biggest architects in K-POP’s global expansion, was inducted into Asia’s Hall of Fame alongside Yao Ming, Michelle Kwan, and Yoshiaki. Initially opposed to the title chosen for the Amazon Prime documentary, Lee Soo-man said, “The term ‘King of K-POP’ sounded too aggressive,” and wondered if he could instead be called “the father of K-POP.” However, the production team insisted that “a bolder title would resonate better with American audiences,” and he later recalled that he “had no choice but to follow their decision.” After earning a master’s degree in computer engineering in the United States, Lee Soo-man applied this technical background to every aspect of K-POP production, including visualization, cutting-edge production techniques, sophisticated world-view settings, and the creation of virtual avatars. SM Entertainment, founded in 1995, pioneered a system that recruited trainees as young as elementary school students and provided them with years of intensive training. While this became the foundation of the K-POP industry, it also sparked debates over unfair contract terms and criticism of industry practices. In 2009, Lee Soo-man invested around $5 million in BoA’s U.S. debut song “Eat You Up,” only to learn the hard way that the American market was not ready to accept Asian artists at the time. BoA, who was already a mega-star in Korea and Japan, returned home after nearly two years of trying to establish herself in the U.S. This failure left Lee Soo-man with deep regret, but it led to fundamental changes in his strategy, eventually allowing K-POP to gain a foothold in the mainstream American market. After separating from SM Entertainment, Lee Soo-man launched the new group A2O MAY in China and the United States and is currently investing in advanced production technology companies in China. As he said, his induction into Asia’s Hall of Fame “confirms that K-POP has now become a genre recognized by mainstream audiences.” The global spread of K-POP is expanding beyond music to include films, animations, and streaming content, opening up new horizons for the dissemination of Hallyu culture.