SM Entertainment's founder Lee Soo Man states that the K-Pop industry needs to target the Chinese market to grow

  • SM Entertainment's founder Lee Soo Man stated, "K-pop will have its second revival in China. It's an era when we have to go to China to produce and create content that can become number 1 in the world with the talented individuals there."

    Lee Soo Man recently appeared on tvN's humanities and liberal arts program 'Monthly Connect' that aired on the first of this month and stated, "I dream that Korea will be the country that becomes the leading content producing country in the world, leading the world culture."


    Producer Lee Soo Man stressed that China needs to lift the ban on Korean culture by stating, "China must open their doors to Korea once again. All of the talented Korean producers, including JYP Entertainment's J.Y. Park and Big Hit Entertainment's Bang Si Hyuk, should enter the Chinese market to create Asia's Hollywood."


    Producer Lee Soo Man also predicted that K-pop will be the mainstay of future core industries.


    He stated, "Artificial intelligence (AI), bio, and nanotech are opening a new era as key industries in the future. I want to present a new direction of K-pop through 'Culture Technology.'"



    He also shared that he was surprised when he was proposed to become a producer of Capitol Music Group, which includes world-renowned artists such as The Beatles, Katy Perry, and Taylor Swift. He stated, "I feel that K-pop's status has increased as it has collaborated with global companies such as CAA and Marvel, the largest agencies in the U.S., and received requests for a collaboration."



    He added, "I think the key to K-pop's growth on the global stage is that it has to establish a system to continue industrially."



    He then concluded, "The first step is to export, making and exporting high-quality music, and the second is a joint venture to discover and train artists from overseas to debut as a team with Korean artists. The third step is localization, forming a group of local nationality members," revealing his future visions.



    However, Korean netizens have a different opinion as they commented, "Did he forget what happened before?" "So I guess JYP is targeting localizing in Japan while SM is targeting China," "He still wants to work with Chinese trainees after all that had happened?" "I think he's suffering from memory loss," "Why does he keep wanting to work with China?" and "Wow, he should focus on taking care of the artists in his company first.

  • LSM always had this Chinese market boner and it's understandable, the stan market there is huge (the dedication of C-bars are unparalleled). He went close with EXO, but was short-lived when Luhan, Kris, and Tao left the group. I'm just confused why he keeps insisting this world culture/culture technology bullsh*t

    🌻 can you believe its only the beginning? 🌻

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  • I hope he didn’t word it that way because it can possibly irritate China. He sounded like China needs Korea to be big. Just take slow steps LSM.. China is slowing opening up to kpop again, don’t make them shut it again.


    And Culture Technology is really his thing, right? I don’t even know what that means

  • LSM always had this Chinese market boner and it's understandable, the stan market there is huge (the dedication of C-bars are unparalleled). He went close with EXO, but was short-lived when Luhan, Kris, and Tao left the group. I'm just confused why he keeps insisting this world culture/culture technology bullsh*t

    It started with Super Junior/Super Junior M, then peaked at EXO, now he's pushing WayV and he still hasn't given up. I like how you phrased it, a Chinese market boner lmao. :D:D:D

  • "China needs to lift the ban on Korean culture"


    EH... the ban has been lifted long ago, before corona kpop groups were planned to do fanmeetings there

    that his groups don't appeal to the gp there like they used to its not the same case as its being banned

  • I hope he didn’t word it that way because it can possibly irritate China. He sounded like China needs Korea to be big. Just take slow steps LSM.. China is slowing opening up to kpop again, don’t make them shut it again.


    And Culture Technology is really his thing, right? I don’t even know what that means

    He already pissed off Chinese netizens with his wording. You've guessed right lol. I was on Douyin (Chinese tik tok) earlier and boy, people are obviously not happy. Idk how the Chinese government will feel when it gets to their ears.

  • I hope he didn’t word it that way because it can possibly irritate China. He sounded like China needs Korea to be big. Just take slow steps LSM.. China is slowing opening up to kpop again, don’t make them shut it again.


    And Culture Technology is really his thing, right? I don’t even know what that means

    Cnetzs are pissed lol, "China must open its doors to Korea once again" was trending on Weibo.

  • He already pissed off Chinese netizens with his wording. You've guessed right lol. I was on Douyin (Chinese tik tok) earlier and boy, people are obviously not happy. Idk how the Chinese government will feel when it gets to their ears.


    Cnetzs are pissed lol, "China must open its doors to Korea once again" was trending on Weibo.

    I’m not surprised.

    :annoyedk:

  • why do you all care for what LSM says or SM for that matter ???


    look at it this way some of the biggest stars making the most ¥¥¥¥¥ are Luhan, Huang Zi Tao, Lay, Victoria, Wang Yi Bo - all formerly kpop idols.


    whenever I hear SM stans or YG stans or JYP stans- i truly believe that you're not stanning the actual company but the individual artists under the company correct?


    I mean none of actually give one f**** about SM or YG or JYP or whoever right - we support our idols correct? and when those idols are now very successful shouldn't we be supportive of their happiness and what they are doing?

    • Official Post

    "China must open their doors to Korea once again. All of the talented Korean producers, including JYP Entertainment's J.Y. Park and Big Hit Entertainment's Bang Si Hyuk, should enter the Chinese market to create Asia's Hollywood."


    Lmao at Sooman bringing in other companies so he's not solely hated or blamed for this statement. China has their own idols, why should they open the doors and let you create Asia's Hollywood when they can do it themselves? This guy thinks he's some kind of god I cannot!

  • "China needs to lift the ban on Korean culture"


    EH... the ban has been lifted long ago, before corona kpop groups were planned to do fanmeetings there

    that his groups don't appeal to the gp there like they used to its not the same case as its being banned

    I'm pretty sure fanmeetings is the last thing LSM means when talking about the ban. Concerts for a start is the thing that if China would completely lift the ban would make not just SM but K-Pop much bigger.

  • Lol that sounds a little bit like if he saw his Japanese buddys and went like "OMG no, the Japanese company Avex will make all their music available in China, that will ruin KPop in China, let us try and get it before Japan maybe gets it" lmao (for some context: Lee Sooman knows a few Japanese companys and even works with them and since Avex is almost going bankrupt they now try to target China in hope to get more money out of there)

    A.C.E | ATEEZ | DRIPPIN| MCND | NU'EST | ONF | SF9 | Stray Kids | TFN

  • Lmao it's not up to Kpop to grow in China or not. It's not a free market LSM-shi

    It's up to the Chinese government, not Kpop.


    Kpop grow with or without China, but having China definitely add to it

  • "China must open their doors to Korea once again. All of the talented Korean producers, including JYP Entertainment's J.Y. Park and Big Hit Entertainment's Bang Si Hyuk, should enter the Chinese market to create Asia's Hollywood."


    Lmao at Sooman bringing in other companies so he's not solely hated or blamed for this statement. China has their own idols, why should they open the doors and let you create Asia's Hollywood when they can do it themselves? This guy thinks he's some kind of god I cannot!

    but Luhan, Kris and Tao all came from SM first and now they're huge stars in China. I would like to see WayV also become big like them even if they leave SM later like EXO's ex c-line did.

    narcissistic, my god i love it

    JCsIq3Q.gif

  • I don't get it. SM was the pioneer in Japan, the world's 2nd largest Music Market. Japan's pretty open with Korean Music. Why did SM abandon Japan, an open and willing market but kept pursuing markets that banned/aren't as open to Kpop?

  • Lmao it's not up to Kpop to grow in China or not. It's not a free market LSM-shi

    It's up to the Chinese government, not Kpop.


    Kpop grow with or without China, but having China definitely add to it

    China doesnt do free market lol. Kpop will only be as popular as the government allows it

  • Why invest into China when you can accumulate a lot more with several markets globally or different countries without such a high risk of sudden interference by the government? Especially in context of digitalizations. It is not like China is the only country with a lot of people or people ready to spend money on people.

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