SM’s Founder Makes His Decision
In a shocking turn of events, Lee Soo Man, the visionary founder of SM Entertainment, has officially declined to attend the company’s milestone 30th-anniversary celebration. This decision has sent ripples through the K-pop industry, marking another chapter in the complex relationship between the founder and the entertainment powerhouse he built from scratch.
The announcement comes after SM Entertainment extended invitations to their former CEO and other past artists for the upcoming SMTOWN 2025 concert series. The celebration, planned as a grand showcase of SM’s three-decade legacy in K-pop, will now proceed without its founding father.
Behind the Invitation Drama
What makes this situation particularly intriguing is the manner in which Lee Soo Man learned about the invitation. According to his representatives, the industry pioneer was overseas when news of the invitation first reached him through media reports, rather than direct communication from the company. This revelation has raised questions about the current state of relations between SM Entertainment and its founder.
The timing of this decision is especially significant, coming less than two years after Lee Soo Man’s departure from the company in March 2023. Since then, he has established his own venture, A20 Entertainment, marking a new chapter in his career while leaving behind the empire he built over three decades.
Industry experts suggest that this decline might reflect deeper underlying tensions within the K-pop industry, particularly regarding the relationship between founding figures and their former companies. The situation mirrors similar cases in the industry where company founders have distanced themselves from their original establishments after ownership changes or management disputes.
The concert series, scheduled to begin at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome on January 11 and 12, will feature performances from current SM artists. However, Lee Soo Man’s absence isn’t the only challenge facing the celebration. Notable artists, including Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon and Red Velvet’s Wendy, have also announced their non-participation, adding another layer of complexity to this unfolding situation.
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Artist Controversies Surface
This development has sparked intense discussion among fans and industry observers about the future direction of SM Entertainment and the broader implications for the K-pop industry’s corporate culture. As one of the founding fathers of K-pop, Lee Soo Man’s absence from such a significant milestone event symbolizes a shifting landscape in the industry he helped create.
The announcement has sent waves through the K-pop industry, highlighting the complex relationship between the founder and the company he built from scratch. As SM Entertainment prepares to celebrate this historic milestone, the absence of its founder adds a bittersweet note to what should have been a purely celebratory occasion.
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Final Thoughts: The Future of SM’s Legacy
As SM Entertainment prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary without its founder, questions arise about the company’s future direction. What does Lee Soo Man’s absence mean for the legacy of one of K-pop’s most influential companies?
Seoul Crushers, what are your thoughts on this situation? Share your opinions in the comments below!
