The Weird Length Lee Soo Man Was Willing To Go To For His Tree Planting Initiative

On January 1, during SM Entertainment‘s yearly SMTOWN LIVE 2023 concert, Lee Soo Man, the founder of the company, announced a new tree-planting initiative as part of their commitment to tackling the climate crisis. While the intentions behind the project were assumed to be noble, the announcement sparked mixed reactions among K-Pop fans, with some accusing the company of “greenwashing.”

Despite the backlash, it seems that Lee Soo Man is determined to make a significant impact, even if it means going to some extraordinary lengths.

Lee Soo Man speaking at the “2023 World Cultural Industry Forum” | Korea Times

To show his dedication to the cause, Lee Soo Man reportedly pushed for SM Entertainment’s newest girl group, aespa, to incorporate the theme of tree planting into their songs.

According to SM’s co-CEO at the time, Lee Sung Soo, the founder, ordered the company’s A&R Team and Yoo Young Jin to create songs with lyrics about sustainability. Even the members of aespa, known for their captivating conceptual world, were allegedly instructed to sing about planting trees.

Parts of the lyrics include “just sustainability,” “lowering the degree by even one,” “co-existence,” and “greenism.” These words that have no relation to K-Pop at all appeared in the lyrics here and there. The early part of the song even contained “planting trees.” The aespa members were so upset they even got choked up [with tears].

— Lee Sung Soo

aespa | SM Entertainment aespa’s AI counterparts | SM Entertainment

Despite the mixed response from fans and criticisms of greenwashing, it appears that Lee Soo Man is undeterred. In a recent speech at the 2023 World Cultural Industry Forum in Daegu, South Korea, he reaffirmed his commitment to the tree-planting initiative. Recognizing the global reach of K-Pop idols, he expressed his hope that artists would use their influence to lead the movement and contribute to saving the Earth.

K-pop fans are everywhere in the world. So I desperately hope our singers exert their influence and spearhead the movement to save our earth.

— Lee Soo Man

| SMTOWN/YouTube

Lee Soo Man went as far as jokingly suggesting that he would carry a tree on his back to promote the project.

During his speech, Lee Soo Man shared a humorous anecdote about his popularity on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. He recounted how pictures of him taken at the airport during a recent visit to China unexpectedly gained significant attention, ranking him 5th on the platform’s real-time search chart. Surprised by the level of attention he received, Lee seemingly thought of ways to use it in order to shed light on his initiative.

Although I am the person behind the production of (many) well-known singers, I didn’t realize that I could attract that much attention. So I thought I would carry a tree on my back next time instead of keep telling people to plant it.

— Lee Soo Man

Following Lee Soo Man’s exit from SM Entertainment after the feud regarding the acquisition of the company between HYBE and KAKAO M, fans have assumed that SM’s “greenism” initiative would not come to fruition. However, it seems like not being able to do this through SM and its artists has only made Lee more determined to find other ways to get his point across, no matter how unconventional they may be.