Now the A2O Leader… Lee Soo-man: “Thank you for your interest in our new beginning… Driving technological innovation with 4DGS” [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Lee Soo-man, Key Producer and Visionary Leader at A2O Entertainment (hereinafter A2O), who was formerly a Jeon (CEO) producer at SM Entertainment, has directly appeared at an official domestic event for the first time in two years and five months.

On the 12th, A2O held “WELCOME TO SOULITE From A2O SOUL A2O LITE” (Welkom to Soulite from A2O Soul A2O Lite), a global debut show that also served as a launch event for new idol groups, at Ilsan KINTEX. Leader Lee Soo-man attended the event in person, leading A2O’s rookie boy group “A2O SOUL” and girl group “A2O LITE.”

On this day, Leader Lee Soo-man stated, “I sincerely thank you for showing such great interest and support for A2O’s new beginning. I also express my gratitude to CJ ENM for providing us with a meaningful opportunity to present A2O’s new start to you.” He added, “A2O stands for Alpha to Omega, signifying that the beginning and end are connected, and that the end leads back into a new beginning, continuously changing and expanding.”

Leader Lee Soo-man said, “I have been talking about Culture Technology for a long time. For me, CT does not simply mean adding technology to culture. It is about how to connect emerging technologies with culture, and how to create content and new experiences that we could not have made before through such connections. It also involves considering what technologies are needed to create new content, and whether those technologies can actually be realized. I believe these considerations are part of CT.” He continued, “It includes the meaning of continuously seeking, experimenting, and executing—finding or even creating the necessary technology, no matter how long it takes, to determine if the time has come for us to realize it ourselves.”

He further stated, “We are once again at a point of major change. The pace of technological development, including AI, is accelerating, and not only the way content is created but also the ways we record human reality and utilize those records are changing. At A2O, we are experimenting with these possibilities one by one through actual content production.” He introduced 4DGS (4D Gaussian Splatting). Explaining 4DGS, Leader Lee Soo-man said, “From a camera that captures to a camera that creates, 4DGS records space not as a single scene viewed by the camera, but with data of the time in which the artist existed and from various perspectives.”

Leader Lee Soo-man noted, “In the past, I directly created a Matrix Camera System and produced new scenes in music videos for Girls’ Generation, SHINee, TVXQ, and BoA, making it appear as if the camera was moving around floating subjects in various forms.” He added, “After that, I thought about one thing for a long time: what would happen if we could realize this not with still cameras but with video cameras? About 16 years later, through 4DGS and a new method we call the INFINITE Shooting System, we have begun to realize this possibility in actual content. We also applied this new shooting method to the music videos for A2O SOUL and A2O LITE. I am very pleased that we can realize this new experience together with Samsung Electronics, which is driving global technological innovation, and I thank you for this collaboration.”

Along with this, Leader Lee Soo-man stated, “We must consider what to record and what to leave for the future.” He emphasized, “What A2O aims to create anew through technology is not only a new way of seeing and experiencing artists, but also a new way for artists and fans to meet and communicate. Furthermore, we plan to unveil an interactive live talk show where many fans and celebrities can participate together in one space, talking, watching, listening, and engaging with each other in real time. I hope that A2O will be loved by many, allowing us to frequently meet people in that space, hold concerts, do talk shows, and engage in conversation and discussion together.”

Leader Lee Soo-man added, “I have been involved in K-pop since its inception and have witnessed its development up to now. I have spent a lot of time thinking, searching, and testing what could be different from the existing yet still capable of being loved anew.” He continued, “As long as K-pop groups are called singers, I believe the most important starting point is ultimately the song. The feeling that distinguishes us from existing K-pop must also begin with the song. Today as well, before asking ‘What is different?’ or ‘How is it different?’, I hope you first feel that it is ‘good.’”

This is Leader Lee Soo-man’s first attendance at a domestic official event in about two years and five months, since his keynote speech at the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations World Congress held at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul in May 2024.

Leader Lee Soo-man was subject to a three-year restriction on domestic entertainment management activities due to a non-compete agreement signed when he sold SM shares to HYBE in 2023, but this agreement was lifted earlier this year, allowing him to resume domestic activities.

In addition, at this event, the debut stages of A2O SOUL and A2O LITE, newly launched by Leader Lee Soo-man, were revealed, and their debut songs “SUPERSTAR” and “NEON” will be released simultaneously at 6 p.m. on the 13th.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original