[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] Lee Soo-man, former chief producer of SM Entertainment, has thrown down a new gauntlet in the K-pop market by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and cutting-edge video technology. With the expiration of his non-compete agreement with HYBE regarding domestic music production—marking his return to producing new domestic groups after about three years—he has unveiled a vision to transform not only music and performance but also content production and the way artists engage with fans.

Lee Soo-man, visionary leader and key producer at A2O Entertainment, attended the global debut show “WELCOME TO SOULITE From A2O SOUL A2O LITE” held on the 12th in Hall 9 of Exhibition Hall 2 at KINTEX in Ilsan, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, where he introduced A2O’s production philosophy and future technologies.
At the event, the 15-member boy group A2O SOUL and the 9-member girl group A2O LITE made their debut. These are new groups presented by Lee Soo-man, who has reunited with producer Yoo Young-jin—a colleague from his SM Entertainment days—and both groups will release their debut songs, “SUPERSTAR” and “NEON,” respectively, at 6:00 p.m. on the 13th.

◇A 24-member performance set to Yoo Young-jin’s music… First stage revealed
A2O LITE, the first group to take the stage, captivated the audience with intense music and dynamic group choreography. Their debut song, “Neon,” is an electronic dance track composed by Yoo Young-jin that tells the story of girls who encounter a new world and forge their own unique identities. Although they are a girl group, they are characterized by powerful moves and a dynamic performance that rivals that of boy groups.
Next up, A2O Soul showcased “New Synthwave,” a new musical style centered around synthesizers. Their debut song, “Superstar,” depicts the journey of boys growing up together, blending a lyrical atmosphere with dynamic progression. The large-scale group choreography, with all 15 members moving in perfect unison, and their intricate choreography were particularly impressive.
While showcasing distinct musical styles, both groups revealed a shared direction through performances that left a strong impression despite their restrained movements. In particular, they sought to differentiate themselves by combining synthesizer-based music and dynamic stage direction while carrying on the tradition of large-scale group choreography seen in existing K-pop.

A shared universe connecting the two groups was also unveiled. A2O’s narrative centers on “A2O Cosmic Epic,” a world where everything is perfectly organized, yet human souls and emotions are gradually disappearing.
The video released that day depicted a future society where highly advanced technology allows even parts of the body to be replaced. However, despite their affluent lives, people are gradually losing love, happiness, and the sense of being alive. The story of their journey to Earth in search of a way to reclaim these things serves as the starting point of the A2O universe.
The structure connects “A2O MAY,” “Soul,” and “Light” into a single universe. “Soul” tells the story of boys searching for their lost emotions, while “Light” tells the story of girls creating a new light. The trailer released that day visually depicted the process by which the members, who had been scattered throughout their daily lives, rediscover their souls and come together as one.

◇“From a camera that records to a camera that creates”… A technology 16 years in the making
The technology Lee Soo-man took the most care to introduce that day was “4D Gaussian Splatting” (4DGS), a new video production technology. It involves simultaneously capturing an artist’s movements with multiple cameras and then combining the data to reconstruct the scene in three-dimensional space. A key feature is that even after filming is complete, the artist’s movements can be viewed again from any desired position and angle.
Lee Soo-man explained this technological shift using the phrase, “From a camera that films to a camera that creates.” He emphasized, “Until now, cameras have recorded the scenes they viewed, but 4DGS records the time and space where the artist existed through data from various viewpoints,” adding, “Just because filming is over doesn’t mean the camera’s role is finished.”
This technological endeavor is said to be the result of a concept that has been in the works for about 16 years. Lee Soo-man mentioned the “Matrix Camera System” used in the past for music videos by Girls’ Generation, SHINee, TVXQ, and BoA, revealing, “Even back then, I wondered if it would be possible to implement this using a video camera rather than a still camera.”

The music videos for A2O SOUL and A2O LITE feature 4DGS and the Infinite filming system. Through a collaboration with Samsung Electronics, the project also offers an extended reality (XR) experience that allows audiences to view the artists from any desired location and perspective.
Lee Soo-man predicted that 4DGS technology could be utilized in AI training and the robotics industry in the future. “While photographs capture a single moment in a person’s life and videos record the passage of time, 4DGS can record the very reality in which a person existed,” he said. “I believe it could become the final form of the camera as a recording device.”
He also foreshadowed changes in how fans and artists communicate. A2O plans to introduce a video call feature through its new fan communication platform, “BloomingTalk,” by the end of this month, and will eventually launch interactive live talk shows where fans and artists can participate in conversations together.

◇Technology Takes Center Stage, but Music Is Ultimately Key… Lee Soo-man’s New Strategic Move
While repeatedly emphasizing the importance of cutting-edge technology, Lee Soo-man made it clear that the essence of K-pop lies in music.
“As long as K-pop groups are called singers, the most important starting point is the song,” he said. “The feeling that they are different from existing K-pop must also begin with the song and extend to the dance, music video, and performance.” He continued, “Simply being different isn’t enough. We must create a product that many people enjoy and love,” he urged, adding, “Rather than trying to figure out what’s different, I hope people will first feel that it’s ‘good.’”
A2O’s debut is significant in that it represents an attempt to expand the production system Lee Soo-man established during his time at SM to suit the new technological landscape. In particular, it is characterized by the simultaneous launch of large-scale boy and girl groups, as well as the integration of a unified worldview and cutting-edge video technology into their music and performances.
Above all, A2O’s worldview—that as technology advances, we must rediscover the value of human emotions and the soul—aligns with the philosophy of cultural technology that Lee Soo-man emphasized that day. The vision is to expand K-pop’s expressive horizons through technology while keeping music and human emotion at the center.