SM Leisure CEO Lee Sung Su has launched a video talking out in opposition to former chief producer Lee Soo Man.
On February 16, Lee Sung Su uploaded a video to his private YouTube channel sharing his assertion about SM Leisure and Lee Soo Man, revealing that that is solely the primary a part of a collection of movies.
Based on Lee Sung Su, Lee Soo Man established the worldwide manufacturing firm CTP (CT Planning Restricted) utilizing $1 million of capital, just like how he beforehand established the Korean firm Like Planning. He modified the contract buildings for the music distribution of WayV, SuperM, and aespa in order that they undergo the Chinese language and U.S. labels in addition to CTP. Usually, SM and the related labels ought to settle their income with one another first, after which Like Planning (Lee Soo Man) ought to obtain 6 % of what SM will get. Nonetheless, Lee Soo Man directed separate contracts with every label, and with CTP, he’s receiving 6 % earlier than SM and the labels settle their income. Lee Sung Su alleges that Lee Soo Man did this to evade the Korean Nationwide Tax Service. The CTP was not shaped only for that alternate however for limitless world enlargement and an try and get hold of manufacturing royalties in advancing overseas.
CTP is a separate abroad company from Like Planning. The contracts between CTP and abroad labels are nonetheless lively—and can proceed to be lively—and are fully totally different from the manufacturing contract between SM and Like Planning that was terminated final 12 months.
As the manufacturing contract with Lee Soo Man was coming to an finish in December 2022, Lee Soo Man ordered to not reveal any of the longer term plans concerning producing that had been mentioned. The administration and manufacturing groups had been getting ready to launch an organizational restructuring primarily based on a multi-production heart.
Nonetheless, the contract expiration didn’t imply a brand new begin for SM. In January 2023, Lee Soo Man extra brazenly expressed the pursuit of his personal pursuits. He ordered the next:
- Announce via the press that the artists want Lee Soo Man.
- Use the staff to instigate that Lee Soo Man is required.
- Lee Soo Man and SM quickly set a consulting contract domestically and justify Lee Soo Man’s actions.
- All of the albums and artists promoted overseas ought to signal a contract with Lee Soo Man’s abroad cooperation CTP, or SM ought to signal a second producing contract with Lee Soo Man in Korea.
- Make a response staff for Lee Soo Man even when it takes 10 billion gained (roughly $7.8 million) to attain this.
- Make it in order that the corporate doesn’t make income with out Lee Soo Man, so discover a plan to decrease first quarter income.
- After releasing the music that completes manufacturing in December, think about delaying mid-to-late February and March releases till April.
Funding agency Align Companions requested administration construction reform from SM Leisure and mentioned they’d reveal info that may decrease the popularity of the corporate and Lee Soo Man if reform shouldn’t be achieved. This info was about Lee Soo Man receiving 6 % of gross sales from already launched albums for 70 years and three % of administration gross sales from 2023 for 3 years, totaling to about 80 billion gained (roughly $62 million), though the manufacturing contract between Lee Soo Man and SM Leisure had already ended.
Lee Sung Su felt ashamed and messaged Lee Soo Man about changing into impartial from him. Within the video, Lee Sung Su features a voice recording of Lee Soo Man persuading individuals to take a particular stance and to assist him.
In one other a part of the video, Lee Sung Su mentions that Lee Soo Man pushed for private tasks corresponding to the development of a “good leisure metropolis” or “music metropolis” and K-pop festivals selling sustainability and tree planting. The music metropolis Lee Soo Man was envisioning was additionally linked to a on line casino, and he additionally mentioned the legality of utilizing marijuana in order that vacationers can benefit from the on line casino and competition much more. Based on Lee Sung Su, Lee Soo Man needed to make the most of SM artists to market “Lee Soo Man’s world” created in international locations internationally.
Lee Sung Su additionally shared that aespa was initially scheduled to make a comeback on February 20 with their first live performance scheduled for February 25 and 26, however their comeback was postponed as a consequence of Lee Soo Man’s stubbornness. Lee Soo Man ordered SM Leisure’s A&R staff and producer Yoo Younger Jin to incorporate lyrics about tree planting, sustainability, and ESG in all essential songs launched by the company. This included aespa’s comeback monitor with varied phrases unrelated to K-pop corresponding to “simply sustainability,” “at the least one diploma decrease,” “coexistence,” greenism,” and “tree planting” within the lyrics. Because the track was fully disconnected with aespa’s staff colours and idea, the staff struggled to provide related content material, and Lee Sung Su says that the aespa members additionally teared up as a result of they had been upset. Lee Sung Su and the COO determined that it might be finest to postpone aespa’s comeback, and they’re now getting ready with new music.
Lee Sung Su concludes the video by asking all of the viewers to guard SM.
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