Lee Soo-man: "To me, 'The Best' is HYBE... Moving Beyond Act 2"

After Injunction Granted Letter
"SM is Challenge, Happiness, and Blessing to Me
Crying and Laughing While Making Music"

Lee Soo-man, former Chief Producer of SM, expressed his thoughts on the share sale immediately after the court's injunction approval on the 3rd, saying, "For me, 'the best' was HYBE."

On that day, Lee Soo-man sent a letter to SM employees, fans, and artists, stating, "The 'post-Lee Soo-man' era of SM has been my long-standing concern."

He emphasized, "Entertainment is a world of creativity. I believed that SM should not be passed down to my children or relatives but to the 'best' in this industry who can make it flourish even more. If there are issues with SM's governance structure, they should be improved, and if professional management is needed, those people should take charge without hesitation."

He added, "The past two years have been a time to find the 'best' fit for SM. At the same time, I urged the current management to prepare for an SM era without Lee Soo-man because I had already decided to step down from the SM stage."

Lee Soo-man said, "Funds, large corporations, and overseas global companies, including HYBE and Kakao, wanted SM and came to me, but for me, 'the best' was HYBE."

He praised HYBE, saying, "Although SM and HYBE were competitors, BTS's success is a pride for all our people. HYBE's Chairman Bang Si-hyuk is a music producer like me who has experienced hungry times."

Lee Soo-man explained, "He (Bang Si-hyuk) also lived passionately for music like me and is the person who set the great record of BTS. I felt that he treats artists with the same affection as I do. That is the reason many people were curious about my choice."

Reflecting on the founding of SM, Lee Soo-man said, "When I established SM Planning in 1989, I was young and a startup. I loved songs and thought about the systems needed for singers on site." He added, "I studied Western models of the music industry and built SM's company structure."

He also said, "The world of Korean-style pop and idols was achieved by combining an advanced country business model with a Korean-style talent development model. The achievements of K-pop worldwide, including SM, JYP, YG, and HYBE, are miracles and blessings of the Republic of Korea."

Regarding his future, Lee Soo-man stated, "Having finished the first act of my life as the leader of SM, I am now moving on to the next act. My next step is where technology and culture meet. I am walking steadily toward that place."

Addressing the current management, with whom he has had conflicts, Lee Soo-man said, "I have no regrets about the days I spent with you. SM was a challenge, happiness, and blessing to me."

He also wrote to the artists under SM, "I met you, full of dreams, and together we cried and laughed through the time of hard work and sweet reward, creating music. You, who pour energy from your fingertips to your toes and deliver focused performances on stage, were rather my teachers."