Lee Soo Man talks about A2O LITE & A2O SOUL members' ages?!

Lee Soo Man, leader of A2O Entertainment, spoke on October 21 about A2O Soul and A2O Lite, boy and girl groups that debuted this month with singles 'Superstar' and 'Neon.' He noted members from South Korea, China, Japan, Thailand, and the U.S., some as young as 13 or 14, and said he's aware of concerns despite systems in place, thinking about it often but not losing sleep. Critics online called the response dismissive, questioning protection for kids in demanding idol life, styling like cropped tops on young girls, and AI fan interactions. While music streams well, the debate focuses on well-being in an industry with a history of early debuts like BoA at 13. "Some of the members are 13 or 14 years old. I know that many people are concerned. We've developed many systems and programs, but I'm fully aware that there are still a lot of concerns. I think about it a lot myself, although not to the point of losing sleep over it. I'll do my best."