Lee Soo Man is making headlines after his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. The controversial proposal for future K-pop initiatives between South Korea and France emerged during a vibrant gathering at the Élysée Palace on June 20, 2025.
The meeting took place following Lee’s keynote speech at the ‘France Music Week Summit.’ Macron personally invited Lee to establish a local A20 Entertainment office in France. This announcement is a breakthrough for cultural collaboration and copyright protection between the two nations.
The summit hosted over 100 music industry leaders, including Robert Kyncl and Lyor Cohen. It tackled pressing challenges, from creator rights to AI in music.
Lee Soo Man, dubbed the “founder of K-pop,” captivated attendees with his concept of ‘Culture Technology (CT). This is the very system behind K-pop’s global rise. He voiced concerns about AI’s impact on creativity:
“I envision a world where fans are no longer just consumers, but become prosumers who reinterpret and recreate content—and are rewarded for doing so… We must protect the rights of both prosumers and original creators alike.”
Having founded SM Entertainment and launched mega-groups like Girls’ Generation and EXO, Lee stepped away in 2023 amid a management controversy. He now leads A20 Entertainment, which recently debuted the girl group A20 MAY.
This collaboration between Lee and Macron is generating buzz. Will we see a new era of K-pop influence in France? Only time will tell.
For more on Lee’s groundbreaking ideas, check out the video of his keynote speech and follow the conversation on Twitter.
