Korean pop music industry. In 1985, he returned to Korea "with a vision of what the Korean music industry could be." 1985–present: Founding SM Entertainment Following his return to Korea, Lee ventured back into the entertainment world by working as a DJ and presenter. In 1989, after four years of saving money and gaining experience in the industry, he established an entertainment company called SM Studio (named after his initials) in the Apgujeong neighborhood of Seoul, and signed singer Hyun Jin-young. During the 1990s, SM Studio developed an in-house system that looked after all aspects of its artists' careers. Lee's approach was targeted at teenage audiences, and took a holistic view of the qualities needed to become a successful entertainer. The company was renamed SM Entertainment in 1995. In February 2010, Lee resigned from his position as a member of SM's board of directors, but maintained a role in the company's "management and artist development" divisions. On 23 January 2020, Lee Soo-man was listed by Billboard as one of the world's influential music industry leaders. On 5 February 2020, it was revealed by Jeff Benjamin writing for Forbes that Lee Soo-man worked on South Korean girl group Loona's EP [#], which was his first ever project away from namesake SM Entertainment. Personal life Lee's wife, Kim Eun-jin, died from cancer on 30 September 2014. Lee is the paternal uncle of Sunny, one of the members of the popular SM group Girls' Generation. Philanthropy On 8 March 2022, Lee donated million to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help those affected by the massive wildfires that started in Uljin, Gyeongbuk. and also spread to Samcheok, Gangwon. Other social causes include: Global Citizen, "Global Goal Live: The Possible Dream," 2021 Chief director and executive producer, Asia SM Entertainment and Dream Maker Entertainment selected to host concert in Seoul and represent Asia for the biggest social cause event in history UNICEF, SMile For U Campaign, 2016-2022 Supporting children, parents, childcare workers, and educators in Asian regions to receive quality music education Target areas include Hanoi, Da Nang, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, and Dien Bien (Vietnam) SMile Social Service Corp., SM Entertainment, 2014–present Monthly and daily events for volunteer activities among SM Entertainment staff and artists Activities include infant care, support for impaired youth, abandoned animal care, tree planting, and more Continuously developing and increasing participant numbers: up from 130 in its first