Idol-turned-producer aims to rewrite artists’ fate in K-pop

Singer Lee Hae-in, the co-founder and chief creative officer of All My Anecdotes [ALL MY ANECDOTES]

[INTERVIEW]

Where do K-pop idols go when the spotlight on them begins to fade?

It’s a question that a certain idol-turned-producer hopes to tackle head-on as she launches her own K-pop agency in an industry notorious for the fleeting relevance of its young stars.

“I’ve seen a lot of colleagues and friends who felt lost, asking themselves, ‘What should I do now?’ after their contracts expired,” said Lee Hae-in, the chief creative officer of All My Anecdotes, in an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily.

“I asked myself the same question.”

Few figures in the turbulent K-pop scene have experienced a dramatic career trajectory as Lee has.

Singer Lee Hae-in, co-founder and chief creative officer of All My Anecdotes [ALL MY ANECDOTES]

She first became known as a contestant on the first season of Mnet’s audition program “Produce 101” (2016–) and later debuted as a member of the short-lived project girl group I.B.I. She then competed on “Idol School” (2017) but failed to become a member of the resulting girl group fromis_9.

However, both shows were embroiled in one of K-pop’s biggest scandals years later. Ultimately, in 2021, a court ruling revealed that Lee had been unfairly eliminated from “Idol School,” despite ranking first in the final round, due to voting manipulation.

Lee pivoted to more behind-the-scenes work, gaining recognition as the creative director behind the successful debut of the girl group Kiss of Life in 2023 and did the same for the boy band Close Your Eyes, formed through JTBC’s audition program “Project 7″ (2024).

Girl group Kiss of Life will drop its first digital single “Sticky” on July 1 [S2 ENTERTAINMENT]

Now, Lee has co-founded her own company, All My Anecdotes, alongside Jay Kim, the former CEO of DOD, Lee’s previous agency.

Through All My Anecdotes, Lee hopes to find artists who are capable of thinking and creating independently so they can stand on their own without a company guiding their every move.

“I don’t want idols […] to feel lost if or when our time together comes to an end,” said Lee.

All My Anecdotes is set to launch the five-member girl group OWIS on March 23. While OWIS is a virtual act, the members have publicly hinted at their real identities behind their digital personas — a rare move for a virtual team. Lee herself is believed to be one of the voices behind the project, though she has not directly commented on her involvement.

Virtual girl group OWIS [ALL MY ANECDOTES]

The label also plans to debut a nonvirtual girl group and a boy band in the future.

The Korea JoongAng Daily sat down with Lee in western Seoul on Feb. 26, ahead of OWIS’s debut. Below are excerpts from the interview, edited for length and clarity.

Q.
How did your experience as a trainee under multiple labels shape the way you lead as a creative director?

A. When I was younger, that experience actually made me question myself. I remember thinking, ‘Why can’t I seem to settle in one place?’

Looking back, I now realize that every company is unique, so I was able to experience firsthand an expansive range of systems and philosophies regarding how things should be done.

Lee Hae-in [ALL MY ANECDOTES]

I was also able to witness how someone who might not stand out at first could grow over the long run. Watching this process up close became an extremely valuable asset for me as a director, as it helped me learn how to spot someone’s potential.

As an idol, I don’t think that I was someone who exceptionally excelled at singing or dancing, but I was well-balanced. In the entertainment industry, people often specialize in a specific discipline, so my broad perspective allowed me to look at the bigger picture and bring together insights from different areas, which I believe is one of my strengths.

Girl group Kiss of Life [S2 ENTERTAINMENT]

What kind of agency will All My Anecdotes be?

The kind of company I want to build is reflected in the name.

Every agency has its own standards when it comes to recruiting trainees. For example, some may prefer to find trainees who are blank slates and shape them to encapsulate the company’s vision and identity.

At All My Anecdotes, we wish to bring in those who have a sense of what kind of musical direction or career path they wish to pursue. I believe that kind of independence is also a form of talent. Even if someone’s ideas for their future are not perfectly aligned with the company’s or even fully developed, I would rather work with people who never stop thinking for themselves.

This also applies to our staff. I believe that every person carries a narrative that only they have. I wish to work alongside those who have many stories to tell.

Artists with a strong, self-driven narrative often resonate well with international audiences. Is this direction also strategically targeting the global market?

I do think that this can be an advantage, but it isn’t the main reason I want to build such a team.

I want to create artists who can stand on their own. I want to help them grow their abilities until they’re able to create music on their own. Even if they don’t continue to work with music, I want them to at least have the ability to think, decide and act independently.

Fortunately, audiences overseas seem to appreciate artists like that, and I think the ones in Korea do too. I feel like we’re living in a time when people are really hungry for authenticity — for people who can tell their own stories.

Boy band Close Your Eyes [UNCORE]

What creative intentions lie behind OWIS?

When I create a team, I tend to place a lot of importance on the message that the group wants to deliver to the world.

For example, when I worked on Kiss of Life, I chose the keyword “freedom” to reflect each member’s distinct identity. For Close Your Eyes, the central theme was “eternity” because fans want groups formed through audition programs to last longer than they usually do.

For OWIS, the keyword is “dream.” The group’s name comes from The Corrs’s 1997 song “Only When I Sleep,” and its central concept is anchored in dreams, referring to both our aspirations and the experiences that we have while sleeping.

Regardless of whether a group is virtual, I believe the most important thing is the story that it wants to share with the world. That said, being a virtual group will certainly expand the range of possibilities in the future.

Virtual girl group OWIS [ALL MY ANECDOTES]

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You once stood in the position of an idol negotiating contracts and facing unequal power structures. Now you’re the one writing up the contracts. How has your experience influenced the way you run your business?

I’m actually now on both sides, as I signed a contract as an artist under All My Anecdotes.

Ultimately, what’s most important is that this company can continue long term.

For that to happen, the relationship between us and the idol has to be mutually beneficial. Whether the contract lasts for three years, five years or seven years, we aim to build a relationship in which both sides can and want to continue working together even after that period ends.

Boy band Close Your Eyes [UNCORE]

The K-pop industry is often criticized for its exploitative contracts and extreme training system. Do you think that it’s misunderstood?

There are certain aspects of the industry that need improvement, but there are also ways in which it is misunderstood.

From a company’s perspective, there are reasons that managing risks regarding an idol’s personal life becomes a priority, given that the industry involves the livelihood of so many people. Because of that, companies tend to be strict, which, I assume, is the aggregated result of the many trials and errors of those who have been in the industry for a long time.

But times are changing. It’s not just about the entertainment industry; it’s about generational shifts. There are still rules that need to be followed and tasks that need to be done, but demanding others to “just do it” doesn’t work anymore. Even if it takes more effort, I believe that trying to explain why something has to be done a certain way is important.

What’s your long-term goal?

I don’t really aim for success itself, but success is necessary for me to continue doing what I want to do. But my real goal is to work with the people around me for a long time because they’re good people — and to keep bringing more good people into that circle.