Witness Accounts of Lee Soo-man, Former General Director and Composer Yoo Young-jin with Boys
A2O Entertainment Trademark Application... Non-Compete Period Becomes a Hindrance
Rumors of sightings of Lee Soo-man (72), former Chief Producer of SM Entertainment, in China have been spreading, leading to speculation that he may be gearing up for a return to the entertainment industry.
Former SM Entertainment Chief Producer Lee Soo-man and composer Yoo Young-jin were spotted together with boys presumed to be trainees in China. [Image source=Weibo capture]
On the 16th, various online communities shared sightings and photos of the former chief posted on the Chinese social networking service (SNS) Weibo. The photos show Lee Soo-man during his visit to Shanghai, China, earlier this month, talking with boys presumed to be trainees. Chinese netizens claimed that the boys pictured with Lee are Chinese trainees. Behind Lee was Yoo Young-jin, a composer who created many hit songs for SM.
Former SM Entertainment Chief Producer Lee Soo-man was spotted with boys presumed to be trainees in China. [Image source=Weibo capture]
Earlier, it was reported that Lee Soo-man, through Blooming Grace Co., Ltd., where he serves as CEO, filed a trademark application for "A2O Entertainment," sparking speculation that he might be preparing to return to the domestic entertainment industry. Blooming Grace also stated that they held trainee auditions in China and Japan. Furthermore, Lee appeared publicly on the 30th of last month at the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) World Congress, delivering a keynote speech as the founder of SM. When asked about his return, he replied, "You will know soon." However, he sold his shares to HYBE in March last year and signed a non-compete agreement prohibiting him from producing albums domestically for three years, making it difficult to achieve concrete results immediately.
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