Lee Soo-man facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lee Soo-man
Lee Soo-man in 2024
Born	(1952-06-18) 18 June 1952 (age 73) Jeonju, Jeolla Province, South Korea
Alma mater	Seoul National University (B.Eng.) California State University, Northridge (MS)
Occupation	Business executive record producer
Known for	Founder of SM Entertainment Founder and CEO of A2O Entertainment
Spouse(s)	Kim Eun-jin (formerly known as Kim Ji Hye) ​ ​ (m. 1984; died 2014)​
Children	2
Relatives	Lee Sung-soo (nephew) Sunny (niece)
Awards	Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit (2011)
Korean name
Hangul	이수만
Hanja	李秀滿
Revised Romanization	I Suman
McCune–Reischauer	I Suman

Lee Soo-man (Hangul: 이수만, born June 18, 1952) is a South Korean business leader and music producer. He is most famous for starting SM Entertainment. This is a big South Korean entertainment company in Seoul. Many people call him the "president of culture." He helped start the Korean Wave, which made K-pop popular worldwide. Lee began his career as a singer in 1971. This was while he was a student at Seoul National University. In 1989, he created SM Entertainment. It has since become one of the biggest entertainment companies in Korea.

Biography

Early Life and Singing Career (1952–1980)

Lee Soo-man was born in Jeonju, South Korea. This was on June 18, 1952. He studied at Seoul National University from 1971 to 1979. Lee started as a singer in 1971. He joined a band called April and May in 1972. But he left the band later due to health reasons.

He became well-known for his hit songs. These included "Happiness" (1978) and "A Piece of Dream" (1976). In 1977, he was part of the indie band Sand Pebbles. Besides music and studies, he also worked as a radio DJ and TV host. Lee Soo-man was also in a trio called Masamtrio. He sang with Lee Moon-sae and Yoo Yeol.

In 1980, he formed a band called Lee Soo-man and The 365 Days. However, strict rules about music in Korea made it hard for him to continue his music career.

Studying in the United States (1980–1985)

In the early 1980s, Lee decided to leave entertainment. He wanted to study computer engineering. He went to the United States for a master's degree. He studied at California State University, Northridge. There, he saw how popular music stars like Michael Jackson became.

He was inspired by the rise of MTV in the U.S. Lee then dreamed of building a modern Korean pop music industry. In 1985, he returned to Korea. He had a clear idea of what Korean music could become.

Starting SM Entertainment (1985–2021)

Lee Soo-man in the 1990s. He produced music for Hyun Jin-young, SM's first singer.

After returning to Korea, Lee went back to entertainment. He worked as a DJ and presenter. In 1989, he had saved enough money and gained experience. He then started an entertainment company called SM Studio. It was in the Apgujeong-dong area of Seoul. He signed his first singer, Hyun Jin-young.

In the 1990s, SM Studio created its own system. This system handled all parts of an artist's career. Lee focused on teenage audiences. He looked at all the skills needed to be a successful entertainer. The company changed its name to SM Entertainment in 1995. In 1997, he started a music production company called Like Planning.

In February 2010, Lee stepped down from SM's board of directors. But he still helped with "management and artist development." He kept his influence through Like Planning. This company took a fee for his work in music production. He also remained the biggest owner of SM. He started Culture Technology Group Asia in 2015. He also founded a drone company called LeePollux in 2019.

In 2019, KB Asset Management was a big owner in SM. They complained that Like Planning was taking a large part of SM's profits. They wanted the two companies to join. SM Entertainment said no to this idea. On January 23, 2020, Billboard magazine named Lee Soo-man as a top music industry leader. He also worked on the South Korean girl group Loona's 2020 album [#]. This was his first project outside of SM Entertainment.

Leaving SM Entertainment (2022–present)

In October 2022, SM announced they would end their contract with Lee's Like Planning. On February 3, 2023, SM said they would change how the company worked. They would no longer need Lee as the main producer. Instead, they would use a new system with many production teams.

Kakao Entertainment bought a part of SM. This made them the second-largest owner. They also made a deal with SM to help fund their plans. Lee did not agree with this. He tried to stop new shares from being sold, and the court agreed with him. He then sold his part of SM to Hybe Corporation. This made Hybe the biggest owner. Hybe wanted to buy SM with Lee's help.

This started a competition for control of SM. It was Lee and Hybe against SM's leaders and Kakao. Lee Sung-soo, who was a co-CEO of SM and Lee's nephew, shared a video. In it, he made several claims against Lee. He said Lee had started a company in Hong Kong to handle money from artists' overseas activities. He also claimed Lee wanted artists to say how important he was. And that he tried to add environmental messages into songs for his own business. The National Tax Service said they would look into these claims.

Hybe eventually stopped trying to buy SM. This allowed Kakao to become the largest owner and take control. Lee released a statement saying he was "moving toward the future." After leaving SM, Lee started a company called Blooming Grace. It will focus on combining culture and technology. He also bought a part of a Chinese drone company called EHang.

Personal Life

Lee Soo-man's wife, Kim Eun-jin, passed away from cancer on September 30, 2014.

Lee is the uncle of Sunny. She is a member of the popular SM group Girls' Generation.

Helping Others (Philanthropy)

On March 8, 2022, Lee donated 500 million KRW to help people affected by large wildfires. These fires started in Uljin and spread to Samcheok. He has also supported other good causes:

• Global Citizen, "Global Goal Live: The Possible Dream," 2021
  • He was a chief director and producer for Asia.
  • SM Entertainment helped host a concert in Seoul. This was part of a big event for social causes.
• UNICEF, SMile For U Campaign, 2016-2022
  • This program helped children, parents, and teachers get good music education in Asia.
  • It focused on areas like Hanoi and Da Nang in Vietnam.
• SMile Social Service Corp., SM Entertainment, 2014–present
  • This group organizes monthly and daily volunteer activities for SM staff and artists.
  • Activities include caring for babies, helping young people with disabilities, and planting trees.
• Korean Red Cross, disaster relief, 2014
  • He made a personal donation to help victims of the Sewol Ferry incident. This was a very sad event in South Korea.

Music Albums

• Lee Soo-man (Jigu Records, 1977)
• Lee Soo-man (Shinsegae, 1978)
• 애창곡집 (Jigu Records, 1978)
• Greatest (Universal Record Co., 1980)
• Lee Soo-man (Shinsegae, 1983)
• Lee Soo-man (Han Kook Record, 1985)
• 끝이 없는 순간 (Asia Record Co., 1986)
• NEW AGE 2 (Han Kook Record, January 1989)
• NEW AGE (Asia Record Co., November 1989)

Awards and Honors

Awards

State and Cultural Honors

Recognitions in Lists

See also

In Spanish: Lee Soo-man para niños