SM Entertainment founder and former executive producer Lee Soo Man will be returning to enliven the K-Pop industry with the debut of a new idol group after leaving SM in 2023. As reported by the Korea Times on Sunday October 27, 2024, the idol group will debut under A2O Entertainment.
The agency has also released a video of the rookies and introduced them in three different groups, namely HTG, LTG, and LTB. The agency said that HTG is an acronym for High Teen Girls 16 and above, LTG is Low Teen Girls aged 15 and under, HTB is High Teen Boys aged 16 and above, and LTB is Low Teen Boys aged 15 and under.
They ensure that every trainee who enters LTB or LTG will eventually move to HTB and HTG as they grow. "A2O is a collaborative global artist development platform where beginners receive training in one of four groups organized by age," wrote A2O Entertainment.
"During their training, the rookies will showcase captivating performances on the A2O channel, either as solo acts or as a unit. Please join us in supporting these rookies as they grow and debut as artists!" he continued.
Lee Soo Man's return to the music industry was reported when his company, Blooming Grace, filed a trademark application for A2O Entertainment and held auditions in China and Japan last June 2024. The news comes one year and seven months after Lee Soo Man sold his shares in SM Entertainment to HYBE.
HYBE and social media giant Kakao then engaged in a battle for SM's entertainment management rights. Eventually, the two companies reached a deal with Kakao emerging as the winner in the SM acquisition. "SM Entertainment, which I founded and named after me, is coming to the end of an era today. I can't help but feel emotional.
I think the lyrics of 'Happiness,' a song that I've sung as an artist for a long time, might represent this entire journey," Lee Soo Man said. Lee Soo Man first appeared in the entertainment industry as a singer in the 1970s. He then founded SM Entertainment in 1995 and made it a major K-Pop company.
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