Point
After his non-compete expired, Lee Soo-man unveiled two groups under A2O, highlighting 4D video capture and a planned fan platform.
Key Issues
• Back in Korea after the non-compete: Lee Soo-man sold his 14.8% stake in SM Entertainment to HYBE in 2023 and agreed not to produce music in Korea for three years. The restriction expired in early 2026.
• Two groups unveiled at KINTEX: Singapore-headquartered A2O Entertainment introduced the 15-member boy group A2O SOUL and the nine-member girl group A2O LITE at a joint showcase in Goyang on October 12.
• A shared universe and two singles: Both groups share a fictional universe centered on the planet Soulite. Their digital singles, 'SUPERSTAR' and 'NEON', were released on October 13, with Yoo Young-jin overseeing music and performance.
• 4D Gaussian Splatting (4DGS): The technique reconstructs a performance in 3D from footage shot at many angles, so new viewpoints and camera movements can be generated after filming. Both groups used it in their music videos.
• From multi-angle cameras to AI: Lee said he has pursued multi-angle filming for 16 years, since building a system at SM for acts such as Girls' Generation, SHINee and BoA, and described the data as a record AI-powered robots could learn from.
• BloomingTalk for fans and artists: A2O plans to introduce BloomingTalk, starting with face-to-face video chats in late October, followed by live talk shows in which multiple fans and artists can participate in real time.
• No. 1 on Melon in 29 hours: A2O LITE's 'NEON', produced by Yoo Young-jin and US producer Dem Jointz, reached No. 1 on the Melon TOP100 chart on October 14, about 29 hours after its release.
• Comparisons to earlier SM acts: A2O LITE's nine members come from Korea, China, Thailand, Japan and the US. Online, fans compared members to BoA and Jessica and the group's sound to f(x), though some criticized the comparisons.
※ For more detailed information, please refer to the attached PDF file.