Lee Soo-man

Not to be confused with Lee Man-soo.
This is a Korean name; the family name is Lee.
Lee Soo-man
Born (1952-06-18) 18 June 1952
Nationality South Korea
Education M.A. in Computer Engineering
Alma mater California State University,
Seoul National University
Occupation Founder of S.M. Entertainment
Net worth US$168 million (2013)
Relatives

Kim Eun-jin (wife)

Lee Hyeon-gyu (son)

Sunny (niece)
Awards 2008 Mnet Golden Disk Award for Record Producer of the Year
1997 SBS Seoul Music Award for Record Producer
2011 Seoul Cultural Arts Awards for Pop Music Producer's Award SM Entertainment
2012 1st Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards Kpop Contribution Award
2016 16th Top Chinese Music Award
Korean name
Hangul 이수만
Hanja 李秀滿
Revised Romanization I Su-man
McCune–Reischauer Yi Su-man

Lee Soo-man (born 18 June 1952) is a South Korean music mogul, former musician, and record producer. He is the largest stakeholder of Korean entertainment industry leader S.M. Entertainment, which he founded in 1995.[1] Although he stepped down from the board in 2010, he remains the largest shareholder, with a 21.3% stake.[2] According to The Korea Herald, as of December 2013, Lee's stock holdings amounted to KR₩187 billion (USD$168 million), making him the richest stockholder in Korean entertainment.[3]

Biography

1952–1980: Early years and singing career

Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea on 18 June 1952, and attended Seoul National University between 1971 and 1979.[4][5] He debuted as a singer in South Korea in 1972, releasing songs such as "Happiness" and "One piece of dream". Besides singing, he also worked as a DJ and TV host.[5]

In 1980, he formed the band 이수만과 365일 (Lee Soo Man and 365 days). However, media censorship policies under the Chun Doo-hwan government discouraged him from a career in the Korean music industry.

1980–1985: Studying in US

In the early 1980s, Lee decided to pursue a career in engineering, and moved to California to work on a masters degree at California State University, Northridge,[2] where he witnessed the the rise of "superstars of the MTV generation" such as Michael Jackson.[1] Thus in 1985, he returned to Korea "with a vision of what the Korean music industry could be."[5]

1985–present: Producing career

Following his return to Korea, Lee continued to work as a DJ and presenter. In 1989, after four years of saving money and gaining experience in the industry, he established 'SM Studio' in the Apgujeong neighbourhood of Seoul (naming the business after his initials) and signed Hyun Jin-young. During the 1990s, SM Studio developed an "in-house" system that looked after all aspects of its artists' careers.[5] Lee's approach was targeted at teenage audiences, and took a holistic view of the qualities needed to become a successful musician.[6] The business became traded as S.M. Entertainment in 1995.

In February 2010, Lee resigned from his position as a member of the board of directors at S.M. Entertainment, but maintained a role in the business's "management and artist development".[7]

Personal life

Lee Soo-man's wife, Kim Eun Jin, died from cancer on 30 September 2014.[8][9][10] They have two sons[10] who both attended Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles.[11] His eldest son, John Hyunkyu Lee, acted as his interpreter for a lecture at Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2011.[12][13]

His elder brother is the father of Girls' Generation member Sunny.[14][15]

Discography

Albums

References

  1. 1 2 "Lee Soo Man: Taking Korean Pop Culture Global". Stanford Graduate School of Business. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  2. 1 2 Asia, Forbes. "Korea's S.M. Entertainment: The Company That Created K-Pop". Forbes. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  3. ↑ Herald, The Korea. "Lee Soo-man richest stockholder in entertainment". www.koreaherald.com. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  4. ↑ "KPOP NEWS - SM’s Lee Soo Man Speaks at Seoul Natl. University as Alumni Speaker | Mwave". mwave.interest.me. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "The History of K-pop, Chapter 4: How Lee Soo Man's First Big Fail Resulted in Korea's Modern Pop Star System | MoonROK". moonrok.com. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  6. ↑ Keith Howard Korean pop music: riding the wave 2006– Page 95 "together in 1996 by Lee Soo Man, a graduate of Seoul National University and a product of the campus-led song movement. Lee surveyed teenage girls, then advertised for dancers who most closely fitted what the girls said they wanted."
  7. ↑ Kun-ouc, Park (25 February 2010). "Lee Soo-man steps down from SM board of directors". 10 Asia. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  8. ↑ "Lee Soo Man's (Former SM CEO) wife dies of cancer" (in Korean). Seoul: newsdaily.co.kr. 5 October 2014.
  9. ↑ "SM Entertainment's Lee Soo Man's wife passes away | allkpop.com". www.allkpop.com. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  10. 1 2 "SM Entertainment Founder Lee Soo Man's Wife Passes Away After 2-Year Battle With Cancer". KpopStarz. 2014-10-05. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  11. ↑ "KPOP NEWS - Who is Lee Soo Man’s Son? | Mwave". mwave.interest.me. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  12. ↑ Stanford Graduate School of Business (2011-05-12), Korean Entertainment Agency Taking Its Acts Globally, retrieved 2016-04-18
  13. ↑ "Lee Soo Man's son, John Hyunkyu Lee, revealed to be the lyricist behind EXO and Girls' Generation's songs | allkpop.com". www.allkpop.com. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  14. ↑ "So Nyuh Shi Dae's Sunny Lee: Lee Soo Man's Niece | allkpop.com". www.allkpop.com. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  15. ↑ "Sunny Addresses SM Entertainment Founder Lee Soo Man During Radio Broadcast | MoonROK". moonrok.com. Retrieved 2016-04-18.

External links

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