Lee Soo-man facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lee Soo-man
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Lee Soo-man in 2024
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| Born | 18 June 1952 Jeonju, Jeolla Province, South Korea
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| Alma mater | |
| Occupation |
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| Known for |
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| Spouse(s) |
Kim Eun-jin (formerly known as Kim Ji Hye)
(m. 1984; died 2014) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives |
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| Awards | Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit (2011) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul |
이수만
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| Hanja |
李秀滿
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| RR | I Suman |
| MR | I Suman |
Lee Soo-man (born June 18, 1952) is a famous South Korean business leader and music producer. He is best known for creating SM Entertainment, one of the biggest entertainment companies in South Korea.
Because of his huge impact on music, he is sometimes called the "president of culture." He is seen as one of the key people who helped start the Korean Wave, which is the global popularity of South Korean culture. Lee began his own career as a singer in 1971 while he was a student at Seoul National University. In 1989, he started his own company, which grew into the famous SM Entertainment.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Music Career
Lee Soo-man was born in Jeonju, South Korea, on June 18, 1952. He went to the top-ranked Seoul National University from 1971 to 1979. In 1971, he joined a band called April and May and started his singing career.
He became popular for his "good boy" image and his smarts. He had hit songs like "Happiness" in 1978. Besides being a musician, he also worked as a radio DJ and a TV host.
In 1980, he started a new band called Lee Soo-man and The 365 Days. However, strict government rules at the time made it difficult for him to continue his music career in Korea.
Studying in America
In the early 1980s, Lee decided to leave the entertainment world to study computer engineering. He moved to the United States and earned a master's degree at California State University, Northridge.
While in the U.S., he saw the rise of huge pop stars like Michael Jackson on MTV. This inspired him. He saw how big the American music industry was and dreamed of creating something similar in South Korea. In 1985, he returned to Korea with a new vision for the country's music scene.
Founding SM Entertainment
After coming back to Korea, Lee worked as a DJ and presenter again. He saved money and learned more about the entertainment business. In 1989, he started his own company called SM Studio, named after his initials.
During the 1990s, Lee created a special system for his company. This "in-house" system took care of everything for his artists, from training to managing their careers. He focused on finding and training talented teenagers to become successful entertainers. In 1995, he renamed his company to SM Entertainment.
For many years, Lee was the main producer at SM, helping to create music for the company's artists. He remained the biggest shareholder, which means he owned the largest part of the company.
In 2020, Billboard magazine named him one of the most important leaders in the world's music industry. That same year, he worked on a project for the girl group Loona, which was the first time he produced music for a group outside of SM Entertainment.
Leaving SM Entertainment
In 2022, SM Entertainment announced that it would end its production contract with Lee's personal company, Like Planning. In early 2023, SM's leaders said they would change the company's structure to work without Lee as the main producer.
A company called Kakao Entertainment bought a large part of SM to support this new plan. Lee disagreed with this move and sold his part of the company to Hybe Corporation, the agency behind the group BTS. This started a competition between Hybe and Kakao to see who would gain control of SM Entertainment.
During this time, Lee's own nephew, who was a co-CEO at SM, made some claims against him. He said Lee had set up a company in another country to unfairly collect money from artists' overseas work. He also claimed Lee wanted to put messages about his other business interests into the artists' songs.
In the end, Hybe decided to drop its offer. This allowed Kakao to become the biggest shareholder and take control of SM Entertainment's management. After leaving the company he founded, Lee said he was "moving toward the future." He then started a new company called Blooming Grace, which focuses on mixing culture with technology.
Personal Life
Lee Soo-man's wife, Kim Eun-jin, passed away from cancer in 2014.
He is also the uncle of Sunny, a member of the popular K-pop group Girls' Generation, which is one of SM Entertainment's most famous groups.
Helping Others
Lee Soo-man has also used his success to help people in need.
In 2014, he donated 500 million Korean Won (about $470,000 USD) to help the victims of the Sewol ferry disaster. In 2022, he gave another 500 million Won to help people affected by large wildfires in South Korea. He also helped organize a global charity concert in Asia.
See also
In Spanish: Lee Soo-man para niños
