On October 25, his newly trademarked company, A2O Entertainment, revealed its trainees through its official YouTube channel.
These trainees, referred to as “rookies”, include both boy and girl group trainees, continuing the tradition of the “Rookies” system that Lee Soo-man used at SM.
Notably, Lee Soo-man introduced the term Zalpha-Pop, targeting the “Z” and “Alpha” generations, which caught attention.
The introduction of teams named “Rookies LTB” and “Rookies HTG” suggests that multiple teams may debut under A2O Entertainment.
Furthermore, the name tags of the trainees, such as “MA XITONG”, “LIN YUSHAN” and “CHEN JIAYI”, hint at Chinese trainees, likely revealed first due to non-compete clauses in Korea.
At the end of the video, the phrase “Produced by Lee Soo-man” appears, generating excitement. Known for creating the K-pop system and laying the foundation for global K-pop, Lee Soo-man’s new idol trainees are drawing attention for their outstanding visuals, reinforcing his reputation for sharp talent selection.
This marks Lee Soo-man’s return to producing after 1 year and 7 months, following SM’s acquisition battle in March last year. His non-compete clause for producing in Korea will end in about 1 year and 4 months.
Earlier this year, Lee Soo-man registered a trademark under “A2O Entertainment” through his personal company Blooming Grace and announced idol trainee auditions via Japanese accounts. In June, he was spotted with young male trainees in China, and on October 8, he was seen with his niece, Girls’ Generation’s Sunny, and former SM producer Yoo Young-jin.
Source: Nate
