Lee Soo-man, the founder and former chief producer of SM Entertainment, recently made a keynote speech at the General Assembly of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) in Seoul. Despite leaving SM Entertainment last year, there are indications that he may be making a comeback to the K-pop industry. His consulting company, Blooming Grace, has filed a trademark application for A20 Entertainment, which is currently pending review. This move has sparked speculation about Lee's potential return to the K-pop scene, especially after reports of auditions being held in Japan and China for trainees under A20 Entertainment. Although Lee is bound by a three-year ban on participating in domestic entertainment business in Korea due to his contract with Hybe, the ban does not extend to international ventures. In addition to his trademark application, Lee recently delivered a keynote speech at the CISAC event, where he discussed the future of K-pop and its synergy with artificial intelligence (AI). When questioned about his potential return to the K-pop scene, Lee neither confirmed nor denied it, stating, "We will see. As I have always done, I am moving toward the future." This has led industry insiders to anticipate his imminent return to the K-pop industry, given his lifelong involvement in the entertainment business and his public appearances to discuss the future of K-pop.