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French President Emmanuel Macron (left) meets with Lee Soo-man, chief producer and visionary leader of A2O Entertainment. / Source: A2O

Lee Soo-man, the visionary leader and key producer of A2O Entertainment, met French President Emmanuel Macron on June 20 in Paris, where they discussed K-pop’s global impact and potential cooperation between Korean and French creatives.

Lee was in France as the only Asian speaker at the “France Music Week Summit,” a high-level international forum held at Place de l’Opéra, Paris, where over 100 influential figures in the global music industry gathered. Key attendees included Warner Music CEO Robert Kyncl, YouTube Head of Music Lyor Cohen, and Universal Music France CEO Olivier Nusse, with Macron and French Culture Minister Rachida Dati also in attendance.

Following his summit speech, Lee was welcomed to the Élysée Palace, where President Macron introduced him as “the creator of K-pop.” Macron praised Lee’s accomplishments as a “visionary entrepreneur, creator, and producer,” and proposed that Lee consider establishing a French office. The president also expressed support for enhanced collaboration between Korean and French creators, instructing Minister Dati to explore follow-up measures.

The meeting went beyond formality, reflecting the French leadership’s recognition of K-pop’s cultural influence and Lee’s creative vision. It also signaled the beginning of a symbolic model of cooperation between the two countries, especially in promoting creators’ rights.

In his speech, Lee shared the concept of “culture technology” (CT)—a system he pioneered that underpinned K-pop’s expansion—and addressed the need to protect creators’ rights in the age of artificial intelligence. “Fans should be able to reinterpret content, participate in its creation, and be compensated for their contributions,” he said. “In the future, anyone can be a producer. We must protect the rights of re-creators and prosumers.”