SM Entertainment Founder Lee Soo Man Returns With New Company And “Zalpha-Pop”

Lee Soo Man, founder and former general producer of SM Entertainment, is making his dramatic return to the K-Pop scene with a new entertainment company, A2O Entertainment.

On October 25, 2024 (KST), A2O Entertainment revealed a “Zal-Dance Compilation V1” video via YouTube and other social media platforms like Weibo—revealing the “rookies” of A2O Entertainment.

“Zalpha-Pop” replaced “K-Pop” in the video description, thought to be combining Gen Z + Alpha and setting these generations as A2O Entertainment’s main audience.

At the end of the video, the phrase “Produced by S.M. Lee” appears, indicating Lee Soo Man’s involvement in the production of the group.

Lee Soo Man left the K-Pop scene in March 2023, after a heated management dispute.

Read the full story behind Lee Soo Man’s resignation, lawsuit, and more:

Suing SM Entertainment: The Full Story Behind Lee Soo Man’s Resignation, Lawsuit, And More