Lee Soo-man, key producer and visionary leader of A2O Entertainment, met with French President Macron as the 'founder of K-pop.'
On the 20th (local time), Lee Soo-man attended the 'France Music Week Summit' held at Place de l'Opéra in Paris, France, as a speaker.
On that day, Lee Soo-man had a meeting with President Macron at the Élysée Palace, the official residence of the French President. Lee Soo-man was introduced to President Macron as "the person who created K-pop," and President Macron expressed his pleasure, stating that he was well aware of Lee Soo-man's excellence as an entrepreneur, creator, and producer.
President Macron directly proposed the establishment of a local office in France to Lee Soo-man and expressed a willingness to actively cooperate to strengthen collaboration between creators in Korea and France. Lee Soo-man responded with gratitude, saying, "Thank you." President Macron instructed Minister of Culture Rachida Dati to discuss the matter further, exploring the feasibility of concrete implementation.
This meeting was not just a simple ceremonial greeting; it demonstrates that the highest levels of France are deeply aware of the global influence of the K-pop industry and Lee Soo-man's cultural vision. It holds significant meaning as a symbolic starting point for protecting creator rights and a collaboration model between Korea and France.
The 'France Music Week Summit,' which Lee Soo-man attended, is an event where over 100 key figures leading the global music industry gather to participate in various discussions and conferences on major challenges facing the music industry. Along with Lee Soo-man, key leaders representing the global music industry, such as Robert Kyncl, CEO of Warner Music Group, Lyor Cohen, head of YouTube's global music division, and Olivier Nusse, CEO of Universal France, participated. Additionally, French President Emmanuel Macron and Minister of Culture Rachida Dati added to the event's authority.
As the only speaker from Asia at this event, Lee Soo-man delivered a persuasive speech befitting a pioneer who has paved the way for the K-pop genre. He captivated local musicians by explaining the special connection with Paris and the Culture Technology (CT) system that has driven K-pop's growth into a global phenomenon.
In each session, the panels analyzed the success of K-pop and engaged in various discussions. In particular, Lee Soo-man dedicated significant time to discussing how to protect the rights of creators in the era of AI and generative AI.
Lee Soo-man stated, "I envision a world where fans become prosumers who create content rather than just consumers. Fans should be able to reinterpret and remake content, participate in the creative process, and receive economic rewards as well." He emphasized, "In the future, anyone can become a producer. We must now protect the rights of recreators and prosumers, and the rights of original creators must be safeguarded even more strongly."
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
