Lee Soo-man to Launch A2O Soul and A2O Lite Together

Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment, is set to return to the Korean music industry through his new label, A2O Entertainment. The company announced that it will debut a boy group and a girl group at the same time, marking a new domestic project for the industry figure widely regarded as an architect of modern K-pop.

The groups are named A2O Soul and A2O Lite. A2O Entertainment said Thursday that both acts will take part in a global debut showcase. The announcement places the two debuts together as a single launch, rather than describing separate debut events. The source does not provide further details about the showcase or the groups’ music.

This will be Lee’s first domestic music project since his three-year noncompete agreement with Hybe expired in February. The announcement therefore marks his return to Korean music activities after that restriction ended. A2O Entertainment is the label behind the two groups, while the source identifies Lee as its founder only in relation to his earlier role at SM Entertainment.