Lee Soo-man

Lore & Background

Lee Soo-man debuted as a singer in 1972 while a student at Seoul National University. He was a member of the band April and May from 1972, later leaving for health reasons, and gained spotlight for his 'good boy' image and lack of involvement in a 1975 weed scandal. He released hit songs such as '행복 (Happiness)' in 1979 and '한송이 꿈 (A Piece of Dream)' in 1977, and also worked as a radio DJ and TV host. In 1980, he formed the band 이수만과 365일 (Lee Soo-man and The 365 Days), but media censorship under the Chun Doo-hwan government discouraged his music career.

In the early 1980s, Lee left entertainment to pursue computer engineering, earning a master's degree at California State University, Northridge.

Reader's Guide

Lee Soo-man's significance lies in his foundational role in shaping the modern Korean pop music industry and the global spread of the Korean Wave. As founder of SM Entertainment, he pioneered a holistic in-house training system for artists, targeting teenage audiences and creating a model that became standard in K-pop. His vision, inspired by the MTV era in the United States, transformed Korean entertainment into a multinational industry. Despite controversies—including a 2004 conviction for illegal stock profits, allegations of tax evasion via a Hong Kong company, and disputes over long-term 'slave contracts' that led to regulatory changes—Lee's influence persisted through his production company Like Planning and his role as chief producer. His departure from SM in 2023 marked the end of an era, but his legacy as a cultural pioneer endures, with his methods and artists continuing to shape global pop culture.

Did You Know?

• Lee Soo-man debuted as a singer in 1971 while a student at Seoul National University.
• He was one of the few Korean celebrities not involved in the 1975 weed scandal.
• In 2004, he was sentenced to two years of imprisonment with three years of probation for illegal stock profits.
• He donated ₩500 million to the Korean Red Cross for Sewol ferry disaster victims in 2014.

From Jeonju to the Airwaves

Lee Soo-man was born in Jeonju on June 18, 1952, and his musical journey began while he was a student at Seoul National University, where he studied on and off between 1971 and 1979. He joined the band April and May in 1971, debuting publicly the following year, but eventually departed for health reasons. His public image was defined by a "good boy" reputation, bolstered by his clean record during the 1975 weed scandal that implicated many Korean celebrities, and by his association with one of the country's top universities. He found wider audiences with songs like "A Piece of Dream" (1976) and "Happiness" (1978), and played with the indie group Sand Pebbles in 1977. Outside the studio he worked as a radio DJ and television host, and he also performed in a trio called Masamtrio alongside Lee Moon-sae and Yoo Yeol, a name referencing their resemblance to a horse's long face. By 1980 he had formed his own group, Lee Soo-man and The 365 Days, but the heavy media censorship under the Chun Doo-hwan government effectively shut the door on his performing career.

The MTV Spark and the Birth of SM

In the early 1980s, Lee made a bold pivot away from entertainment, heading to California State University, Northridge to pursue a master's degree in computer engineering. It was there, however, that he witnessed the explosive rise of MTV-era superstars like Michael Jackson, and that experience ignited a vision for what a modern Korean pop music industry could look like. He returned to Seoul in 1985 carrying that ambition, first re-entering the scene as a DJ and presenter. After four years of saving money and building industry experience, he founded SM Studio in the Apgujeong neighborhood in 1989, naming it after his own initials and signing singer Hyun Jin-young as his first artist. Throughout the 1990s the company developed a comprehensive in-house system that managed every facet of an artist's career, with a deliberate focus on teenage audiences and a holistic philosophy of what made a successful entertainer. The studio was rebranded as SM Entertainment in 1995, and in 1997 Lee established his separate music production label, Like Planning.

Empire Builder and Industry Titan

Lee's influence over Korea's music landscape extended far beyond his own label. Even after stepping down from SM's board of directors in February 2010, he retained a role in the company's management and artist development divisions and continued to shape its output through Like Planning, which collected a six percent consultancy fee on revenue for its involvement in music production. He remained the largest shareholder, holding the company's management rights. His entrepreneurial reach kept expanding: in May 2015 he founded the music publishing firm Culture Technology Group Asia, and in February 2019 he launched the drone company LeePollux. His standing in the global industry was formally recognized in January 2020 when Billboard named him among the world's most influential music leaders. Widely called the "president of culture" and credited as a pioneer of the Korean Wave, he also broke from his SM roots in 2020 by producing the EP [#] for the girl group Loona—his first major project outside his namesake company.

The Storm and the Road Ahead

The relationship between Lee and SM Entertainment fractured dramatically in October 2022, when the company announced it would terminate its production contract with Like Planning by year's end. By February 2023, SM declared it would restructure around a multi-production center system, effectively removing Lee's role as chief producer. The situation escalated into a corporate war: Kakao acquired a 9.05 percent stake and signed a funding agreement, while Lee sold his shares to Hybe, which then moved to acquire SM with his backing. The ensuing battle pitted Lee and Hybe against SM's executives and Kakao. Lee's nephew by marriage and SM co-CEO Lee Sung-soo publicly accused Lee on YouTube of establishing a Hong Kong entity, CT Planning Limited, in 2019 to route six percent of artists' overseas earnings and evade taxes. The National Tax Service opened an investigation. Lacking Hybe's financial firepower, the rival eventually withdrew, leaving Kakao as the dominant shareholder. Lee stated he was "moving toward the future," continued his tree-planting projects, and founded Blooming Grace, a firm focused on fusing culture with technology, while also acquiring a stake in the Chinese drone maker EHang.