Variety announced its ŌĆ£Variety 500ŌĆØ, an index of the 500 most influential business leaders shaping the global media industry. Updated Dec 23, the ŌĆ£Variety 500ŌĆØ reflects ths membersŌĆÖ accomplishments over the past year. And among the list is Lee Soo Man, the chief producer in one of the top powerhouses in the K-pop scene. Lee Soo Man has been on the list from the very first ŌĆ£Variety 500ŌĆØ released in 2017, proving his global influence and the status of K-pop in the global market. Dubbing producer Lee as the ŌĆ£father of K-pop,ŌĆØ Variety introduced him as ŌĆ£the pathfinder for contemporary K-pop managementŌĆØ who still ŌĆ£remains powerful and keeps expanding the SM universe.ŌĆØ They also wrote some great words in his introduction ŌĆō ŌĆ£SM quickly became the firm to beat, with groups including TVXQ and EXO going on to pan-Asian and later U.S. success. While the spotlight these days is on Big Hit Entertainment-managed BTS, LeeŌĆÖs SuperM, dubbed the Avengers of K-pop, is built around seven established multinational acts.ŌĆØ Lee Soo Man has always been recognized for his role in the K-pop syndrome, becoming the first Korean to be named in ŌĆ£2016 Asia Game Changer AwardsŌĆØ by Asia Society and The 2020 Billboard Impact List. Source (1, 2)
