5/14/2025

‘Lee Soo Man: King of K-Pop’ Explores the Mastermind Behind Some of Genre’s Biggest Acts

This new documentary dives into the life of South Korean business executive and record producer.

By Amina Ayoud

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Lee Soo Man

Lee Soo Man attends the premiere of Prime Video's "Lee Soo Man: The King of K-Pop" at NeueHouse Hollywood on May 12, 2025 in Hollywood, Calif. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

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Ever wondered how some of the biggest acts in K-pop were made? Amazon‘s documentary Lee Soo Man: King of K-Pop dives deep into the inner workings of the popular music genre as seen through the eyes of legendary South Korean business executive and record producer Lee Soo Man.

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Directed by Ting Poo, the one hour and 47-minute film is currently available to stream on Amazon’s Prime Video via a Prime subscription, which will run you $14.99 per month. The documentary was made available on the streaming platform on May 13.

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‘Lee Soo Man: King of K-Pop’

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A brand new Amazon’s Prime Video documentary discussing the life and work of legendary music producer and businessman Lee Soo Man.

From Lee’s beginnings in the traditional town of Jeonju, to his work at hallowed entertainment company SM Entertainment, the documentary chronicles the good, bad and ugly of the K-pop industry, with the hallowed producer behind the wheel. Many credit Lee with starting what is known as the “Hallyu wave,” a phenomenon that speaks to the surge in popularity of South Korean culture, particularly its music, dramas and films.

Lee founded SM Entertainment back in 1989. During his roughly 33 years at SM Entertainment, Lee is credited with creating some of the company’s most popular groups, including Exo, Super Junior, Aespa, Girls Generation, Red Velvet, NCT, TVXQ and SHINee. The company is largely credited as a key driver of the global success of K-pop. Lee left the company in March of 2023 due to a slew of logistical issues and a heated management dispute, which are briefly touched on in the documentary.

While the Hallyu movement began in the 1990s, the figurative wave has grown to monsoon levels, taking the music industry by storm. The K-pop sphere has gained major recognition over the past few years, becoming an immensely popular genre throughout the world, thanks to the work of Lee and industry bigwigs like him. This documentary is a must-watch for fans of the genre who are seeking an insider’s perspective on some of their favorite groups.

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