Lee Soo-man, the founder of K-pop giant SM Entertainment, returned to the entertainment industry with A2O Entertainment, whose initial roster consisted mainly of non-Korean trainees due to contractual restrictions with HYBE.
According to multiple news outlets in South Korea, the development marks Lee’s comeback following his departure from SM Entertainment.
Lee’s K-pop journey began in 1995 when he founded SM entertainmentbecoming one of the most influential entertainment companies in South Korea. Under his leadership, SM Entertainment developed a systematic training model that became a blueprint for the development of K-Pop idols, launching programs such as Popular, Girls’ Generation, EXO, NCT, and Espa.
However, Lee’s relationship with SM Entertainment ended dramatically in early 2023.
In October 2022, SM Entertainment announced the termination of its production contract with Lee’s company. like planningby the end of that year. By February 2023, SM announced a new strategy “SM 3.0: IP Strategy – Multi-Production Center/Label System”, which excluded Lee’s production company.
A power struggle ensues cocoa entertainment Acquired a significant stake in SM and partnered with the company to fund its new direction. Lee opposed the moves, filing a lawsuit to block the issuance of new shares and convertible bonds.
“During the training period, the rookies will show charming performances in the game. A2O channelwhether solo or group performance.
Eventually, Lee sold his shares in SM to the company’s rivals, movetriggering a battle for control of the company. HYBE, with Lee’s support, aims to acquire SM, while SM executives and Kakao seek to maintain their positions. Kakao finally gained actual control of SM.
In June this year, it was reported that Lee planned to re-enter the Korean pop music industry by establishing a new management company. his company, bloom gracehas taken steps to acquire the trademark of A2O Entertainment in May, According to the Korea Herald, Citing records from the Korea Intellectual Property Administration.
At the time, news outlets reported that A2O Entertainment was the proposed brand from a company involved in various entertainment businesses, including video games and advertising.
Recently, A2O Entertainment announced the first batch of trainees through a promotional video released on October 25 Youtube and Weibo (a Chinese social media platform owned by Tencent), introduced artists divided into three groups: rookie High temperature TG (High school girls, 16 years and over), rookie LTG (young girls, 15 and under), and rookie LTB (Lower Boys, 15 and under).
The launch of A2O Entertainment comes with a new music genre that the agency is calling “Za Alpha Pop” Targeting Generation Zalpha (Gen Z and Alpha, born between the mid-1990s and 2010s). The agency’s YouTube page has attracted more than 5,000 subscribers and nearly 95,000 views.
“During the training period, the rookies will show charming performances in the game. A2O channeleither as a solo player or as a unit. Please join us in supporting these emerging talents in their development and debut as artists,” the agency said. Korea Herald.
However, Korea JoongAng Ilbo According to reports, Li’s new venture faces certain restrictions. Due to a three-year non-compete clause in Lee’s agreement with HYBE, his production activities are currently limited to overseas projects.
korea herald It said this explains the significant presence of Chinese students in A2O’s lineup and indicates that the agency’s business will be mainly concentrated outside South Korea. this korea times According to reports, A2O held trainee auditions in China and Japan in June last year.
There are reports that Lee tried to negotiate to lift the three-year restriction, but was unsuccessful.
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