SM Entertainment wins 12.8 billion won tax case over Lee Soo-man payments - Korea JoongAng Daily

EntertainmentK-pop A2O Lite members perform at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Newsis By Yonhap A2O Lite, the first girl group produced by former SM Entertainment chief Lee Soo-man, reached No. 1 on Korea's largest music streaming platform shortly after releasing its debut single, before falling to sixth place hours later, data showed Thursday. The group's debut digital single, "Neon," had topped Melon's Top 100 chart by 11 p.m. on Wednesday, 29 hours after its release at 6 p.m. the previous day, according to music industry experts. It is unusual for a rookie group to top the chart within less than two days of a song's release, although it dropped to sixth place the following morning. As of 10 a.m. Thursday, Soyeon's "I'm Gonna Toesa (feat. Kian84)" returned to No. 1. A2O Lite is a nine-member group launched by A2O Entertainment, the company founded by Lee after he left SM Entertainment. Lee simultaneously introduced A2O Lite and 15-member boy group A2O Soul at a media showcase in Goyang, near Seoul, on Monday. He returned to the domestic K-pop market after a three-year non-compete agreement expired earlier this year.

Lee Soo-man, key producer of A2O Entertainment, speaks during “Welcome to Soulite From A2O Soul A2O Lite,” a global debut show for the agency’s new idol groups, at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Yonhap Three years after a boardroom battle pushed him out of SM Entertainment, the company he founded, K-pop mogul Lee Soo-man unveiled two new idol groups on Monday in his first music project in Korea since his noncompete agreement with HYBE expired in February. His Singapore-headquartered A2O Entertainment introduced 15-member boy group A2O Soul and nine-piece girl group A2O Lite at a joint showcase at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, where both groups performed live for the first time. Their digital singles, “Superstar” and “Neon,” come out at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The launch also uses an unusual format — two groups debuting at once, linked through a shared fictional universe centered on "Soulite," an alien planet. K-pop girl group A2O Lite performs during “Welcome to Soulite From A2O Soul A2O Lite,” a global debut show for A2O Entertainment’s new idol groups, at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Monday.

Marvel Studios’ release of Avengers: Endgame: Encore was a shrewd gambit for a few reasons: It put the studio’s most successful film back in conversation right after the juggernaut success of Spider-Man: Brand New Day; it tided die-hards over with new footage ahead of December’s Avengers: Doomsday; and, perhaps most importantly, it raked in an additional $138 million for the film, reinstating its position as the worldwide box office champion over James Cameron’s Avatar. Cameron, who certainly doesn’t spend his precious time fretting about such matters as lifetime financial grosses and being the best in the world at stuff, recently expressed his congratulations to Marvel for once again overtaking his 2009 sci-fi film. “You are one of the people,” the director wrote (per The Wrap) in a composite image from Avatar, with Iron Man at the center of a welcoming Na’vi tribe. “Congratulations to Marvel and the #1 Avengers: Endgame: Encore for bringing moviegoers to the cinemas! – Jim Cameron.”

John Alexander Greer III, age 44, passed away suddenly on October 12, 2026. Born in Fredericton, New Brunswick to John Alexander Greer II, Shelley Ann Greer, ( Stewart Allan), John lived his life devoted to caring for those he loved. Above all, John’s greatest joy was being a father to his sons, Jonathan and Nathaniel. He was a hero to his brothers, Jobi James and Jermey Dale Greer, and a loving partner to his fiancée, Samantha Vernon. Possessing a heart of gold, John brought warmth to everyone around him and found his ultimate freedom riding his motorcycles on the open road. He is reunited in rest with his late grandparents, Fred and Gladys Ramsey, and John Greer I and Shirley Gould