[Comprehensive] Lee Soo-man, A2O visionary leader, declares comeback after two years: "For K-pop singers, the essence is singing"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Lee Soo-man, key producer and visionary leader of A2O Entertainment (hereinafter A2O), who was a Jeon (CEO) producer at SM Entertainment, appeared directly at an official domestic event for the first time in two years and five months, announcing his return to the domestic K-pop scene.

A2O held "WELCOME 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 on the 12th. Leader Lee Soo-man attended the event directly, leading A2O's rookie boy group "A2O SOUL" and girl group "A2O LITE."

This is approximately two years and five months since Leader Lee Soo-man last attended a domestic official event, which was his keynote speech at the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) World Congress held in May 2024 at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Leader Lee Soo-man had been 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.

On the day, Leader Lee Soo-man said, "We sincerely appreciate the great interest and support you have shown for A2O's new beginning. We also express our 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 to a new beginning again, continuously changing and expanding."

Leader Lee Soo-man stated, "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 new technologies with culture when they emerge. And how we can create content and new experiences that were previously impossible through them. On the other hand, I believe it also includes considering what technologies are needed to create new content, and whether those technologies can actually be realized." He continued, "It means continuously seeking, experimenting, and executing to find or even create the technology if it does not exist, and determining when we have reached a point where we can realize it ourselves, even if it takes a long time."

He further said, "We are once again at a turning point of major change. The pace of technological development, including AI, is accelerating, and the ways of creating content, as well as recording human reality and utilizing those records, are changing. At A2O, we are experimenting with these possibilities one by one through actual content production," introducing 4DGS (4D Gaussian Splatting). Leader Lee Soo-man explained 4DGS as follows: "From a camera that captures to a camera that creates, 4DGS records space not just 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 said, "In the past, I directly created a Matrix Camera System and produced new scenes in various forms for music videos by Girls' Generation, SHINee, TVXQ, and BoA, making it look as if the camera was moving around floating subjects." He added, "After that, I thought about one thing for a long time: what would happen if we could realize this with a video camera instead of a still camera? Now, 16 years later, through 4DGS and a new method we call our 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 happy that we can realize this new experience together with Samsung Electronics, which is leading 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 how artists are seen and experienced, but also new ways 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 interacting 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 conversations and discussions together."

Leader Lee Soo-man added, "I have been part of the process of K-pop's development since its inception until now. I have thought a lot about what could be different from the existing but still loved anew, searching for and testing it." 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 starts something different from existing K-pop must also begin with the song. Today as well, before asking 'What is different?' or 'What is different?', I hope you first feel that it is 'good.'"

At this event, the debut stages of A2O SOUL and A2O LITE, newly launched by Leader Lee Soo-man, were also revealed.

They will simultaneously release their respective debut songs "SUPERSTAR" and "NEON" at 6 p.m. on the 13th.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original