Lee Sang Min is officially returning to the music scene as a producer after nearly 20 years.
On October 24, a teaser for the YouTube series 'Producer Lee Sang Min' revealed that Lee will make his long-awaited comeback as a music producer. The reality-style K-pop project will follow his journey from returning to producing to creating and debuting a brand-new co-ed idol group.
Lee Sang Min first debuted in 1994 as a member of the co-ed group Roo’ra, later transitioning into producing. He went on to launch numerous successful groups—including Diva, Chakra, Sharp, and Country Kko Kko—cementing his reputation as one of Korea’s top hitmakers.
However, in 2002, he was forced to halt his activities due to massive debt. After a decade-long hiatus, he returned in 2012 through Mnet’s variety show 'God of Music.' Since then, Lee has continued to entertain audiences with his wit and self-deprecating humor on shows like tvN’s 'The Genius' series and SBS’s 'My Little Old Boy' and 'Dolsing Fourmen.'
Producer Lee Sang Min will showcase the producer’s hands-on involvement in discovering new artists and creating music. The show promises to capture the raw, behind-the-scenes process of K-pop production—from artist meetings and auditions to real-time creative development.
In the teaser released on October 24, Lee candidly opened up about his renewed passion for music after finally paying off his debts 20 years later. “From 1994, I worked nonstop as both a group leader and producer for about eight to nine years. I didn’t have a single minute of leisure in my life, and during that time, I created several teams,” he recalled.
He continued, “These days, fandoms are no longer divided by gender. It’s an era where fans can love one team together, so I realized there’s no need to separate male and female groups anymore.” He also praised Teddy’s co-ed group ALLDAY PROJECT, saying, “I loved the group—it was really well made.”
Despite his long hiatus, Lee confidently declared that his “instincts are still alive,” raising expectations even higher when someone listening to his first comeback track commented, “This sounds like a Billboard hit.”
The show is co-produced by global content studio Kapes Planet—led by PD Yoo Chi Kok, who directed Mnet’s 'Superstar K,' 'Show Me the Money,' and 'No Mercy' (Monsta X’s debut survival show), and successfully launched the Dingo and Hello82 YouTube channels.
Kapes Planet, founded by producers from Mnet, Dingo, and Hello82, is a global K-pop content studio that recently made headlines for co-developing the upcoming global K-pop film Secret Idol with Actor’s Studio (founded by Lee Jung Jae) and the UK-based Imaginarium.
This project marks Lee Sang Min’s long-awaited return to his roots as a music producer, and expectations are high for him to bring forth a new generation of K-pop artists with his trademark creativity and musical instincts.
The Producer Lee Sang Min YouTube series will continue releasing teasers and episodes sequentially starting today.
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