According to MK, the showcase at KINTEX in Goyang introduced A2O SOUL, a 15-member boy group whose lineup includes Moon, Sora and Seoha, alongside A2O LITE, a nine-member girl group featuring Young, Himeki and Bora.

Chosunbiz reports the two acts performed debut tracks on the day: the girl group premiered 'Neon (NEON)' and the boy band 'Superstar (SUPERSTAR).'

Both outlets stress the multilateral makeup of the lineups — A2O SOUL has six Chinese members and five Korean members, while A2O LITE draws members from Korea, China, Japan and Thailand — with members born between 2007 and 2013, all teenagers.

The significance, per both publishers, lies in the calendar rather than the debuts alone.

MK reports that Lee sold his SM stake to HYBE in February 2023, agreeing to a non-compete clause barring domestic entertainment activity for three years; that period expired at the end of February this year, freeing him from March onward.

Chosunbiz adds that he received about 520 billion won in the sale and worked in China and the United States during the restriction, including debuting the Chinese girl group A2O Mei in 2024. The KINTEX showcase is therefore the first visible evidence of his return to Korean producing.

Before the rookies took the stage, Lee himself demonstrated what both outlets identify as '4D Gaussian Splatting (4DGS),' a technology that films artists with multiple cameras and reconstructs their movements in three-dimensional space — technology Chosunbiz says was developed with Samsung Electronics and used in the groups' debut music videos.

MK quotes him saying, 'What we are recording now is not just video... It is about preserving the people and reality of this era as data for the future.'

Chosunbiz also reports he teased 'Blooming Talk,' a platform launching in late October where fans can chat with AI chatbots mimicking A2O members, and promoted a new genre he calls 'Zalpa pop' aimed at Generations Z and Alpha.

Fans of the producer's SM era will recognize the fingerprints, as Chosunbiz details: the debut tracks were primarily written and composed by Yoo Young-jin, the former SM songwriter behind H.O.T.'s 'Warriors' Descendants' and aespa's 'Next Level,' who followed Lee to A2O.

The company name, A2O, stands for 'Alpha to Omega,' and SM's 'Rookies' trainee system has been revived as 'A2O Rookies,' with Girls' Generation alum Sunny overseeing trainee development, per Chosunbiz.

Whether the youngest idol debuts on record — MK notes A2O LITE members born between 2008 and 2013 set a new youngest-idols record — can carry the brand, or whether the industry has moved past its old king, is the question fans are now debating.