"Make sure you eat a lot today. It's worth it": Lee Soo-man Congratulates A2O LITE On Their First Win

Producer Lee Soo-man has congratulated rookie girl group A2O LITE on its first music show win. The group shared a video of its call with Lee on their official social media channels on Oct. 20

In the clip, the members cheer as they look at their first-place trophy. Lee answers on screen with "Congratulations" and encourages the group.

"Make sure you eat a lot today. It's worth it," he said, making a finger heart. He added, "I'll work hard too."

A2O LITE won first place with its debut song "NEON" on SBS Life's music show "The Show," which aired on Oct. 20. The win came one week after the group's official debut on Oct. 13. It is the group's first trophy on a broadcast or cable TV music show.

The song has also been climbing the charts. "NEON" entered the Melon Top 100, a major South Korean streaming chart, at No. 77 at 10 p.m. KST on Oct. 13, the day of its release. About 29 hours later, at 11 p.m. KST on Oct.14, it reached No. 1. That is the fastest any debut song has hit No. 1 on the chart since it was revamped in August 2021.

A2O LITE is a new act from A2O Entertainment, where Lee serves as key producer. The group released its debut music on Oct.13 alongside A2O SOUL, a 15-member boy group from the same company. Both acts are currently promoting.

The launch also drew attention as Lee's return to the Korean music industry. In 2023, while transferring his 14.8% stake in SM Entertainment to HYBE, he agreed to a three-year non-compete deal covering South Korea. That restriction ended at the end of February this year, and Lee has since stepped up his own work.