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\t\t Born in South Korea, Lee studied computer engineering in the U.S. for his master\u2019s degree. That technical background would later inform his approach to everything from visualization and cutting-edge production technologies \u2014 he said he\u2019s been rewatching \u201cThe Matrix\u201d to revisit filming techniques \u2014 to pioneering elaborate \u201cworldviews\u201d and virtual avatars for his K-pop bands.<\/p>\n For Lee, the Hall of Fame honor \u201cconfirms that K-pop has become a genre that the mainstream is now paying attention to\u201d \u2014 an acceptance that came after costly lessons and years of trial and error. <\/p>\n When America wasn\u2019t ready for K-pop<\/p>\n Lee invested about $5 million in BoA\u2019s 2009 American debut with \u201cEat You Up,\u201d one of the first songs by a South Korean artist to be primarily written and produced by Western producers \u2014 a bold early attempt to bring K-pop into the U.S. mainstream. But with few widely recognized Asian artists in American pop culture at the time, the market wasn\u2019t ready. After nearly two years, BoA \u2014 already a megastar in Korea and Japan \u2014 decided to return home. The experience, Lee has said, left him with lasting regrets.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I asked the songwriter(s) to revise \u2018Eat You Up,\u2019 they refused,\u201d Lee recalled. \u201cIf we had changed it, I believe it would have achieved much better results.\u201d<\/p>\n Sourcing the world\u2019s best songs for K-pop<\/p>\n That setback taught Lee that K-pop needed to source global talent while maintaining creative control to adapt songs for the worldwide market. His quest for the perfect tracks took him worldwide.<\/p>\n \u201cI once heard a song that was so good I couldn\u2019t let it go,\u201d he said, recalling the track that would later become \u201cDreams Come True\u201d for S.E.S., the late-1990s girl group. \u201cI could\u2019ve bought the license to the song in South Korea, Hong Kong, or Sweden. But I wanted to play it safe, so I found the Finnish address, went to meet the songwriter directly, wrote up a contract, and brought it back.\u201d<\/p>\n At the time, top Western songwriters prioritized Japan, the world\u2019s second-largest music market. \u201cEuropean songwriters were willing to sell to Asia,\u201d Lee explained. \u201cThat\u2019s how we eventually built a system where music from Europe, Asia, and America could come together.\u201d<\/p>\n Fictional universes that keep fans hooked<\/p>\n That fusion became K-pop\u2019s signature. Lee also helped to pioneer another innovation: elaborate fictional universes, or \u201cworldviews,\u201d for groups like EXO and aespa \u2014 a storytelling approach that would later be adopted across the industry, including by groups like BTS. <\/p>\n The concept emerged during his time in the U.S., where he witnessed MTV transform music into a visual medium. \u201cBut we only have three or four minutes,\u201d he said. \u201cHow do we express dramatic, cinematic elements in such a short time?\u201d<\/p>\n Lee\u2019s solution was to create ongoing narratives that unfold across multiple music videos and releases \u2014 think Marvel\u2019s cinematic universe, but for pop groups.<\/p>\n Unable to attract established screenwriters, Lee developed the storylines himself. The strategy proved prescient: These interconnected narratives give global fans reason to follow groups across comebacks, waiting for the next chapter in an unfolding saga.<\/p>\n Despite K-pop\u2019s global success, Lee remains focused on Asia\u2019s potential. He envisions South Korea as a creative hub where international talent learns production. \u201cKorea should become the country of producers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n With the Asia-Pacific region home to more than half the world\u2019s population, he sees it as entertainment\u2019s inevitable future center.<\/p>\n His latest venture with A2O MAY, which operates in both China and the U.S., is testing that vision in one of Asia\u2019s most challenging markets. China\u2019s entertainment landscape has grown increasingly restrictive, with Beijing recently cracking down on \u201c effeminate<\/a> \u201d male celebrities and youth culture. Asked about potential political risks, Lee dismissed concerns.<\/p>\n \u201cPolitical risk? I don\u2019t really know much about that,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n He said he aims to elevate South Korea\u2019s cultural influence as a center of production while meeting China\u2019s needs as it seeks to expand its soft power alongside economic dominance.<\/p>\n \u201cCulturally, does China need what we do? I believe they do.\u201d<\/p>\n
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