"Mr. Lee Sooman Is Amazing!" Rings Golden Bell, Gifts Bracelet to Customer... Caught Celebrating at Barbecue Restaurant

Rookie girl group A2O LITE claims No. 1 on music shows
Lee Soo-man picks up the tab for all customers at a barbecue restaurant

Lee Soo-man, key producer and visionary leader of A2O Entertainment, rang the so-called "golden bell" to celebrate the first music show win by rookie girl group A2O LITE, which he formed, paying the meal bills for everyone dining at a barbecue restaurant.

On October 22, a video filmed at a well-known barbecue restaurant near Yaksu Station in Jung-gu, Seoul, was posted on the official social media accounts of IZE Magazine along with the caption, "Mr. Lee Soo-man rang the golden bell at a restaurant."

Lee Suman, key producer of A2O Entertainment, gives a greeting at the idol group's global debut show, "WELCOME TO SOULITE From A2O SOUL A2O LITE," held on the 12th at Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Yonhap News.

The video shows the producer shouting, "Enjoy your meal!" to the restaurant's customers, who clap, cheer and chant his name. In response, he raises both arms and smiles broadly.

IZE Magazine explained that "the producer arranged the special gathering to celebrate the successful conclusion of the Sidae Forum held on October 21 and A2O LITE's achievement of No. 1 on a music show."

A social media user who said they were there also shared their account. In a post titled "How I got treated to a meal at [redacted] Restaurant by Mr. Lee Soo-man," the user wrote, "I just went there to eat, and Mr. Lee Soo-man from SM bought me a meal," adding, "I told him I liked his bracelet, and he gave it to me. Amazing."

In 2023, amid a management control dispute at SM Entertainment, the producer sold his shares to HYBE and signed a non-compete agreement barring him from participating in domestic music production for three years. The agreement expired in February.

Rookie girl group A2O LITE. Yonhap News.

After founding A2O Entertainment in 2024, the producer introduced the Chinese girl group A2O MAY that same year, followed by the nine-member girl group A2O LITE and the 15-member boy group A2O SOUL on October 13.

A2O LITE's debut song "NEON" made headlines when it topped Melon's Top 100 chart about 29 hours after its release on October 13. After earning its first No. 1 on SBS Life's "The Show" on October 20, the group also topped MBC M's "Show Champion" on October 21 and Mnet's "M Countdown" on October 22, earning three music show wins within 10 days of its debut.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.