[Kim Daesik & Kim Hyeyeon's AHA] "aespa Universe Combined with AI, a Medium of Empathy and Comfort"

⑨ Lee Sung-soo, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of SM Entertainment

Editor's NoteAsia Economy has decided to explore the changes that the rapidly advancing generative AI will bring to the field of artistic creation, and what 'people' should contemplate, from the perspectives of engineers and artists. Accordingly, we have prepared a monthly corner where Professor Kim Dae-sik of KAIST's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and choreographer Kim Hye-yeon (CEO of Yeonist) either hold dialogues with artists or discuss works. The title 'AHA' in the corner stands for 'AI, Human & Art'. Through Professor Kim Dae-sik, who passionately explores the future of generative AI, and choreographer Kim Hye-yeon, who boldly integrates generative AI with dance, we hope you take a step closer to the profound themes of AI, humans, and art.

The image on the left shows the idol group 'aespa' under SM Entertainment, and on the right is Lee Sung-soo, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of SM Entertainment.

Lee Sung-soo, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of SM Entertainment (SM Enter), joined SM Enter in 2005 and rose through positions such as Head of the Producing Division (2015) and CEO of SM USA, before becoming co-CEO in 2020. Having stepped down from the co-CEO role last year, he currently serves as SM Enter's CAO and CEO of its music publishing subsidiary KMR, leading the music division, a core content area of the SM Enter group. Having experienced firsthand the global spread of Hallyu and K-POP over the past 20 years, generative artificial intelligence (AI) represents for him another challenge, an innovation task, and a powerful storytelling tool.

-What has been the driving force behind SM Entertainment reaching its current status?

▲When I joined SM Enter, the company's size was about one-fifth of what it is now, but it was already the first entertainment company to be publicly listed. At that time, artists like TVXQ and BoA were making strides in the global market centered on Asia, and there was a belief that if this growth continued, the company would achieve great success. SM Enter was already an entertainment company that trusted in content-based Culture Technology and believed in the power of culture.

Looking back at the time I joined, Korea's economic status and national recognition were not as high as they are now. At overseas music fairs or concerts, entertainment professionals from Europe or the U.S. often did not even know where Korea was. SM Enter approached things somewhat differently from existing companies. Instead of following the sequence where the economy leads cultural growth, the company operated on the philosophy that culture can lead change and growth. I believe this philosophy laid the foundation for SM's present.

Sungsoo Lee, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of SM Entertainment

-Where does the power of K-POP and, more broadly, K-Culture come from?

▲I believe the background for our culture and cultural industry reaching their current position lies in the uniqueness of our language and writing system. Globally, the origins of writing can be broadly divided into three categories: first, scripts derived from Egyptian hieroglyphs; second, scripts originating from Chinese oracle bone script; and third, Hangul, created by King Sejong.

Especially Hangul, which was independently created without influence from existing scripts, symbolizes Korea's original and scientific thinking. It has played an important role beyond merely being a tool for language transmission, shaping Korean society and culture. Even without citing theories from scholars like Noam Chomsky, the independent writing system and its development history prove that Korea is not just a nation but a community with a unique culture. Therefore, K-POP and K-Culture were not born merely by chance. Rather, historical background and cultural soil likely underpin their foundation.

"Systematic and Strategic Producing Cultivated K-POP's Unique Competitiveness"

-Let's narrow the discussion a bit. There are countless talented and gifted artists worldwide. In this context, what has been the driving force behind K-POP securing such a unique position?

▲The originality and systematic roles of the Korean entertainment industry, especially the 'Big Four K-POP companies,' were crucial. Most founders of these companies come from producer backgrounds, and three of them have experience as singers. K-POP has developed based on comprehensive 'producing,' not just simple music production. Just as developing a mobile phone combines various technologies, K-POP is the result of multiple creative elements and processes combined.

Outstanding producers have led planning and creation, raising industry standards through healthy competition and fostering a culture of mutual growth. Ultimately, K-POP's success stems not merely from talent but from a system that discovers talent and maximizes their potential. The culture of systematic and strategic producing is a key factor that created K-POP's unique competitiveness.

Sungsoo Lee (far left), Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of SM Entertainment, is having a discussion with Daesik Kim (center), a professor at KAIST, and Hyeyeon Kim (far right), a choreographer, at the SM Entertainment headquarters in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on the 31st of last month.

-I understand SM Enter has emphasized 'Culture Technology' from the beginning. Some might have argued that content is more important than technology. Is there a special reason why 'Culture Technology' was chosen as a core code?

▲The philosophy of SM Enter's 'Culture Technology' originates from the vision of its founder, former Chief Producer Lee Soo-man. As is well known, Lee Soo-man majored in computer and robot languages and, during his studies in the U.S., intuitively felt while watching MTV that 'the era of music being watched like this will come.' Based on this insight, he developed the idea that music and content production should be approached more scientifically and systematically.

For example, the idea of 'good music' was not simply a matter of sensory judgment but something that should be answered with data and analysis to the question 'why is this music good?' Thanks to this scientific approach, music production evolved from relying on intuition or senses to a systematic and reproducible method.

Moreover, K-POP targeted the global market from the start. Despite language barriers, it aimed to convey emotion not only through music but also through visual content like music videos. Just as children who did not know English well could enjoy Michael Jackson's songs and performances, SM Enter adopted this strategy. Although still evolving, this aspect is an important element of K-POP's nature. Ultimately, SM Enter's pursuit of 'Culture Technology' is a synthesis of music, visuals, and technology through scientific and systematic approaches, laying the foundation for K-POP and continuing to develop new possibilities.

"SMCU Creates Unique Storytelling at the Boundary of Reality and Virtuality"

-SM Enter seems more open to new technologies than any other company. The recently popular virtual idol ‘Nævis’ might be a result of this. Especially, Nævis forms a vast universe in interaction with the girl group Aespa. Could you tell us about Aespa?

▲Aespa is a group that best represents SM's 'SMCU (SM Culture Universe)' philosophy through a narrative structure that crosses reality and virtuality. Aespa's universe features actual members existing in the 'real world' and avatar (virtual self) members existing in the 'virtual world,' communicating and empathizing through a digital world located at the boundary between reality and virtuality, growing together with unique storytelling.

The group's identity is innovative. Four real members and four avatars called 'ae' act as members of one group, exploring the coexistence of humans and AI-based virtual selves exchanging emotions and thoughts through a narrative involving a mysterious supporting entity. The avatar 'æ' is a virtual self created based on human data, independently thinking and living as another entity within the digital world. They reside in 'FLAT,' a metaverse space within 'KWANGYA,' and communicate with fans called 'MY,' meaning best friend.

SM Entertainment's first virtual idol 'Naibis'

Nævis plays an important role in Aespa's universe as a facilitator connecting the virtual and real worlds, acting as a guide assisting interactions between æ and Aespa members. Nævis serves as a bridge between the virtual digital space FLAT and the real world, creating new stories that blend human inner conflicts and technology.

Within Aespa's universe, there is the concept of 'SYNK,' which refers to the connected state between real members and avatars. As SYNK develops, through a process called 'REKALL,' avatars come into the real world. Aespa's storyline began with their debut in 2020 and has expanded over the past four years through various music and video content.

Recently, Nævis debuted as an independent idol, serving as a kind of prequel story. Tracing back Aespa's story reveals a narrative exploring how the digital space called KWANGYA was created. SM Enter set the premise that during the early days of internet connectivity, all connected computers functioned as a massive network node, within which AI spontaneously emerged.

This fundamental metaverse space of the virtual world is KWANGYA, where two major AIs, Nævis and Black Mamba, appear. Aespa and Nævis are opening a new chapter of convergent content encompassing technology, culture, and the metaverse, beyond mere entertainment.

Sungsoo Lee (right), CAO of SM Entertainment, is having a conversation with Professor Daesik Kim of KAIST at SM Entertainment in Seongdong-gu, Seoul on the 31st. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

-Could you share the philosophy and vision of SMCU?

▲SMCU is an original platform that integrates the individual narratives of SM Enter artists into one vast universe. Just as the Marvel Universe shares a world where various heroes have their own stories, SMCU connects and fuses the stories of each artist who independently operates. Especially, Aespa best exemplifies the core of SMCU philosophy through its unique narrative crossing reality and virtuality. Aespa's universe explores the relationship where humans and AI-based avatars communicate and share emotions and experiences. This is a new form of storytelling born at the intersection of human inner conflicts and technology.

SM Enter uses these stories not merely as fan service but as powerful mediators delivering empathy and comfort centered on music. SM Enter's music has reached all generations from the 1990s to the present, containing emotionally rich stories through music and lyrics. In SMCU and Aespa's universe, this music evokes deep empathy among real-world fans while providing digital beings like AI opportunities to learn human senses and emotions.

"New Art Practice Harmonizing Technology and Humanity"
"Focusing on Expanding Human Experience through Technology-Converged Content"

This reflects SM Enter's philosophy that music is the purest and most powerful tool for empathy. SMCU aims not just to expand the metaverse but to pursue a new form of art where technology and human experience harmonize. SM Enter communicates with future generations in new ways through content converging music, AI, virtual artists, and the metaverse, focusing on expanding human experience.

Moreover, K-POP aims not to remain merely global content consumed passively but to establish itself as a sustainable and responsible form of art, with a strong will to create a better world based on music. SMCU symbolizes SM Enter's dream of future entertainment and its effort to realize a new cultural platform that resonates worldwide.

-How should we explain these changes to the youth, who are especially influenced by K-POP and K-Culture, and what kind of environment should we create for them?

▲I believe technology should not remain merely a tool but should permeate life like background music alongside culture. Therefore, what children need is not just technical education. It is important to create an environment where they can naturally experience culture and art, nurturing sensitivity and creativity. Ultimately, culture and art have a powerful ability to provide self-esteem and happiness.

Professor Kim Dae-sik, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, KAIST

Choreographer Kim Hye-yeon (CEO of Yeonist)