[Culture &] Lee Soo-man, Founder of SM, Returns to K-pop in Full Force… Hosts an A2O Audition

'K-pop' maestro 'Lee Soo-man', returning to Korea after 3 years... 'A2O Entertainment' steps in

'SM Entertainment' founder and producer 'Lee Soo-man' is breaking a three-year hiatus and making an immediate return to the domestic 'K-pop' market.

'A2O Entertainment Korea' announced on the 24th the official launch of the first open audition, 'A2O Zalfa Audition', which will be directly planned and supervised by 'Lee Soo-man'. This is the first official event held after the 'three-year non-compete for domestic production' agreement made at the time of selling its stake to 'HYBE' in 2023 was fully lifted last month. With the return of a maestro who sparked a global 'K-pop' sensation, attention across the entertainment industry is focused on the move.

Aiming to serve as a proving ground for next-generation stars, the 'Zalfa Audition' will be held regularly every Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the 'A2O Entertainment Korea' headquarters building in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. With a wide range of categories—vocals, rap, dance, and acting—open without restrictions on nationality or gender, applicants can participate either by registering on-site on the day without a prior reservation or via official online channels.

'Lee Soo-man' has maintained a sharp global eye even during the non-compete period, having founded 'A2O Entertainment' overseas and launched the girl group 'A2O Mei' centered on Chinese members. Starting with this Korean audition, 'A2O Entertainment' is expected to expand its scale worldwide—including into Japan and the United States—and accelerate the rebuilding of a new 'global K-pop empire'.