Lee Soo Man, the original founder and ex-chief producer of SM Entertainment, was seen in Los Angeles, California, on May 12, attending the showing of his documentary titled "Lee Soo Man: The King of K-Pop."

The viewing was hosted in Hollywood and attracted various K-pop idols who started their careers under SM Entertainment and maintain close relationships with Lee. Notable attendees included Choi Siwon from Super Junior, Taemin from SHINee, as well as Sunny, Hyoyeon, and Tiffany from Girls' Generation.

Images from Getty Images show Lee Soo Man linking arms with Taemin and Choi Siwon, with a proud smile on his face like that of a caring father.

In February 2023, Lee sold his 14.8% share in SM Entertainment to HYBE's chairman, Bang Si Hyuk, following a publicized management clash with SM's executive team. Afterward, in March 2023, HYBE stated they were withdrawing from the acquisition process, citing various internal and external reasons, effectively settling the power struggle surrounding SM's direction.

Following these events, Lee turned his focus internationally, concentrating on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives. At the beginning of 2023, he established a new agency, A2O Entertainment, as part of his company Blooming Grace. Under this agency, he introduced a new girl group named A2O MAY.

Notably, A2O MAY comprises entirely of international members. This decision aligns with a contractual requirement in the stock purchase agreement with HYBE, restricting Lee from participating in domestic production activities for three years. Nonetheless, this restriction doesn't apply to international ventures, allowing him to carry on his work globally.