Kim Jaejoong Doesn’t Avoid SM-related Questions “Even Sharing a Story About Meeting Lee Soo-man”
On June 25th, Wikitree held an interview with Kim Jaejoong at iNKODE Entertainment’s office in Mapo-gu, Seoul to commemorate the release of his 20th-anniversary full-length album “FLOWER GARDEN”.
Kim Jaejoong debuted in 2003 as a member of the group TVXQ. At that time, TVXQ was a five-member group consisting of Hero Jaejoong, U-Know Yunho, Micky Yoochun, Max Changmin and Xiah Junsu. They dominated the idol market upon their debut and received explosive love.
However, in 2009, Kim Jaejoong, along with Kim Junsu and Park Yoochun, engaged in a contract dispute with SM Entertainment over unfair contracts, leading TVXQ to transform from a five-member group to a duo, while Kim Jaejoong, Kim Junsu and Park Yoochun formed JYJ.
After a long period, Kim Jaejoong is now active as a solo singer and actor. Last year, he established his agency iNKODE and ventured into idol production. On his 20th debut anniversary, Kim Jaejoong referred to SM Entertainment, where he started his career, as “the company that gave birth to me and my original family”.
He shared an anecdote about meeting former SM producer Lee Soo-man by chance, “About 2 years ago, I met teacher Lee Soo-man on a plane. Coincidentally, his seat was 2 seats away from mine, so I wrote him a letter. It said, ‘A lot of time has passed, and although there were many conflicts and unresolved issues, looking back, it seems like you gave me the courage to shape myself. I hope you continue to create great IPs as a key contributor to K-POP.’”
He added, “He is the person who helped me debut. Later, I heard from friends at SM that he proudly shared the letter with others outside.”
Meanwhile, Kim Jaejoong will release “FLOWER GARDEN”, commemorating his 20th debut anniversary, on various music sites at 6 PM on June 26th. The new album, consisting of 14 tracks, features Kim Jaejoong as a lyricist for most of the songs and includes a variety of genres, promising to captivate listeners.
