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ABC News
ABC News
Business
Wing Kuang

Inside SM Entertainment, a K-pop succession drama is brewing between uncle and nephew who rule over music empire

Record producer Lee Soo-man is at the centre of an internal battle at K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment. (AFP: Valerie Macon)

Back in the 1970s, when Lee Soo-man was performing at a music festival, the South Korean folk singer known for his top hits found his audiences unusually quiet.

But the atmosphere changed immediately when a foreign band took to the stage, with audiences shouting and waving along with rhythms.

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