Lee Soo-man, key producer of A2O Entertainment, received the Gwanak Award at the 2026 regular general meeting of the Seoul National University Alumni Association.

At the event held at the Crystal Ballroom of Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, Producer Lee Soo-man was selected as the recipient of the 28th Gwanak Award. He is an alumnus from the class of '71 (Agricultural Engineering) and was named among this year's awardees alongside Chairman Jo Ki-ho of Kiho Corporation (Chemical Education, class of '54) and Chairman Seo Byung-ryun of Logisall Group (Agricultural Engineering, class of '69).

During the award ceremony, Producer Lee Soo-man mentioned the 30th anniversary of H.O.T.'s debut and lightened the atmosphere with a cheerful remark, saying, "I will speak for only three minutes." He then cited the creativity and spirit of challenge he learned at Seoul National University as the background that enabled him to contribute to the global spread of K-POP and the Korean Wave. He also expressed gratitude to domestic and international fans, artists, staff, and current producers who have supported the Korean Wave.

He revealed that he recently completed a new filming method he had been conceptualizing for 15 years and plans to unveil it soon. Lee Soo-man is recognized for creating the concept of "Cultural Technology," which foresaw the fusion of culture and technology and presented a new paradigm for South Korea's entertainment industry. It was also emphasized that based on this concept, he contributed to the expansion of diverse cultural content beyond K-POP and the establishment of innovative business models, thereby elevating the global status of K-Culture.

The Seoul National University Alumni Association stated regarding Producer Lee Soo-man's achievements, "He pioneered the concept of 'Cultural Technology,' which foresaw the fusion of culture and technology and presented a new paradigm for South Korea's entertainment industry. Through this, he opened possibilities for cultural content expanded beyond K-POP and built innovative content business models, greatly contributing to raising the global status of K-Culture."

Producer Lee Soo-man plans to continue pursuing a future vision through the combination of culture and technology. He is also preparing to announce the new filming method he has completed.