Lee Soo Man debuted as a singer in 1972 with 'Happiness'. In 1980 he formed Korea's first rock group 이수만과 365일 (Lee Soo Man and 365 days).
In 1989 he founded SM Entertainment, which is now one of the 'Big 3' music companies in Korea. In 2010, he resigned as a member of the board of directors, however he remains a majority shareholder.