Lee Soo-man returns to K-pop with A2O Entertainment debut

K-pop pioneer Lee Soo-man has officially returned to the South Korean music industry with the simultaneous debut of two new idol groups under his new agency, A2O Entertainment. During a global debut showcase held at KINTEX in Goyang, Lee introduced the 15-member boy group A2O Soul and the nine-member girl group A2O Lite.

This marks Lee’s first major domestic project since the expiration of a three-year non-compete agreement following his departure from SM Entertainment in 2023. The groups share a fictional universe known as ‘A2O Cosmic Epic,’ centered on the planet Soulite. A2O Soul is set to release the single ‘Superstar,’ while A2O Lite will release ‘Neon.’

Beyond the musical debut, Lee emphasized his concept of ‘Culture Technology’ (CT) by unveiling 4D Gaussian Splatting (4DGS). This technology uses multi-camera footage to reconstruct performers in three-dimensional space, allowing fans to experience performances from virtually any angle or perspective. Lee noted that the goal is to create new content and experiences that were previously impossible through traditional video recording.