SM Entertainment, established in 1989 as SM Studio by music producer Lee Soo-man, is one of South Korea's largest and most influential entertainment companies and a cornerstone of the modern K-pop industry. Known for pioneering the idol training system, SM developed a structured approach to developing talent in singing, dancing, and performance that later became a blueprint for other agencies. SM debuted its first artist, Hyun Jin-young, in 1990, who has been credited with introducing rapping and hip hop music to South Korean audiences.

After changing its name to SM Entertainment in 1995, the company debuted its first idol group, H.O.T., in 1996, whose successful formula became the model for many K-pop groups. At the turn of the 21st century, amid industry-wide declines in domestic record sales, SM turned to other East Asian markets, debuting soloist BoA. In 2002, BoA became the first Korean artist to top the Oricon Albums Chart, a feat that is credited with opening the door for other K-pop artists in the country.

Over its history, SM has been home to a diverse array of successful idol groups, including S.E.S., TVXQ, Girls' Generation, Super Junior, Shinee, Exo, Red Velvet, NCT, and Aespa, as well as top soloists such as BoA, Taeyeon, Taemin and Baekhyun. As a talent agency, SM additionally represents numerous actors and entertainers. Artists under SM Entertainment are part of a collective known as SM Town.

Current artists Groups

SM Entertainment currently has nine active groups, the oldest being TVXQ, which was established in 2003 before debuting in 2004 with the single "Hug", and sold over 10 million albums cumulatively in South Korea in Japan in their first 10 years. Super Junior debuted in 2005 as a 12-piece ensemble, and have been dubbed "Kings of the Hallyu Wave" for their contributions to the Korean Wave. Girls' Generation debuted in July 2007 as a nine-member ensemble with the single "Into the New World", following it up with their self-titled debut studio album that November. Girls' Generation has been dubbed "The Nation's Girl Group" and have been credited with shifting the public's focus back to female idols after the Korean music industry experienced an influx of male idol groups from 2002 to 2007. In 2008, Shinee, a five-member boy band, debuted with the extended play Replay. The group has been considered by some to be among the best singers and dancers in the K-pop industry and has been bestowed the title "Princes of K-Pop" by multiple media outlets.

Pushing into the 2010s, SM further expanded with its roster Exo, its first new group in four years. The multi-national boy band established two sub-units: Exo-K, which focused on the South Korean market, and Exo-M, which focused on China. Both groups debuted in April 2012 with the EP Mama, which was released in both Korean and Mandarin editions. With the release of their debut album in 2013, Exo became the first Korean artist in 12 years to sell over one million copies of an album, and by 2018 had become the first South Korean artist who debuted in the 21st century to sell 10 million albums cumulatively. In 2014, five years after their last girl group, SM established Red Velvet, debuting as four-member group with the song "Happiness". After adding a fifth member, they released their debut EP, Ice Cream Cake, in 2015.

In 2016, SM launched what was called "K-pop's most experimental boy group to date", NCT. Growing to a peak of 26 members, NCT is frequently broken into smaller sub-units, each with different concepts. NCT 2018 Empathy (2018) was the group's first release with all members as a full collective under one project. As of June 2024, NCT has sold more than 40 million albums across all sub-units, making them SM Entertainment's best-selling act and one of the best-selling K-pop acts of all time. Aespa, a four-member girl group, debuted in 2020 with the single "Black Mamba", launching along with the SM Culture Universe. The group, which also includes digital avatars of each member, known "ae", is credited with popularizing the metaverse concept in K-pop. Aespa's second EP, 2022's Girls, became the biggest-selling debut week for a K-pop girl group, recording over 1,610,000 pre-orders prior to its release. SM's most recent boy group, Riize, was launched in 2023. The band's debut, Get a Guitar, became the second best-selling first week for a debut album in K-pop history, selling over one million copies. In 2025, SM launched a new girl group: Hearts2Hearts, an eight-member girl group that debuted with the single album The Chase.

+Current SM Entertainment groupsNameDebut yearDebut albumMembersRefTVXQ2004Tri-AngleTVXQ debut: TVXQ debut album: TVXQ members: Super Junior2005TwinsSuper Junior debut: Super Junior members: Girls' Generation2007Girls' Generation<div class="hlist inline">Girls' Generation debut album: Girls' Generation debut single: Girls' Generation members: Shinee2008ReplayExo2012MamaExo debut: Exo members: Red Velvet2014Ice Cream CakeRed Velvet debut: Red Velvet debut EP: Red Velvet members: NCT2016NCT 2018 EmpathyNCT debut: NCT debut album: Current NCT members: Aespa2020SavageAespa debut: Aespa debut album: Riize2023Get a GuitarHearts2Hearts2025 The Chase

Sub-units

SM's artist roster includes several groups known as "sub-units", which are smaller groups spun-off from their main group and functioning as their own independent band. Some sub-units are formed to target specific markets, languages, genres or performance styles not typically explored by the main group, or due to fan demand because of members' shared chemistry. NCT 127, a Seoul-based spin off of NCT, debuted in 2016 with the EP NCT#127. The group has been noted for their intricate choreography and have been dubbed K-pop's "kings of noise music". NCT Dream also debuted in 2016, originally as a dynamic unit with a graduation system where members would leave the group when they turned 20, though this was later removed in 2020 in favor of a fixed lineup. Oh!GG was launched in 2018, a sub-unit of the five members of Girls' Generation who opted to renew their contracts with SM the previous year.

Two sub-units were launched in 2019. WayV, another NCT sub-unit, this time focusing on the Mandarin-speaking market, debuted with The Vision, while Exo-SC, a hip-hop duo spun-off from Exo, made their first appearance with What a Life. Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi released their first EP, Monster, in 2020, with their formation being inspired by a cover of S.E.S.'s "Be Natural" that the duo performed in 2014. NCT DoJaeJung, an R&B-based trio of NCT vocalists, debuted with 2023's Perfume, while NCT Wish, a Japan-based group, debuted in 2024 as NCT's fifth and final sub-unit.

+Current SM Entertainment sub-unitsNameSpinoff ofDebut yearDebut releaseMembersRefNCT UNCT2016"The 7th Sense"style="text-align:left" NCT 127NCT#127NCT DreamThe FirstOh!GGGirls' Generation2018Lil' TouchWayVNCT2019The VisionExo-SCExo2019What a LifeRed Velvet – Irene & SeulgiRed Velvet2020MonsterNCT DoJaeJungNCT2023PerfumeSuper Junior-L.S.S.Super JuniorLet's Standing ShowNCT WishNCT2024WishNCT JNJM2026Both SidesSuper Junior-83zSuper JuniorPromiseGirls' Generation-HRSGirls' Generation"Skibidi"

Soloists

In addition to its groups, SM Entertainment is home to several soloists. While SM's solo roster does include artists that did not originally debut as part of a group, the vast majority of the company's roster of soloists consists of artists who are currently or were previously a member of one of SM's groups. SM's longest-tenured soloist, BoA, debuted in 2000 and has sold more than ten million albums. BoA has become one of South Korea's most influential and prominent singers, being widely referred to as the "Queen of K-pop". South Korean rock singer J-Min debuted in Japan in 2007, not releasing her Korean debut until 2014's Shine.

Originating from SM's first idol group, H.O.T., Kangta debuted as a soloist in 2001 with the album Polaris. He has gone on to become executive producer of Smash Hit, a production team of 20 composers under SM's Kreation Music Rights subsidiary. Taeyeon of Girls' Generation debuted as a soloist in 2015 with the EP I. Having sold over one million albums, Taeyeon was the best-selling female soloist in South Korea for the decade from 2011 to 2021. Often praised for her vocal abilities, Taeyeon was selected as the top K-pop vocalist in a 2015 survey of music industry officials. Ryeowook, with his 2016 debut The Little Prince, became the first artist to release under Label SJ, a sub-label established for Super Junior and its members in 2015.

Exo's Kai debuted as a soloist in 2020 with his eponymous EP. Known as one of K-pop's best dancers, Kai has also been labelled a fashion icon, being called one of K-pop's biggest fashion influencers. NCT leader Taeyong became the group's first soloist with 2023's Shalala. The EP, which was self-produced and self-written, recorded pre-orders of over 500,000 copies on the day of its release. The following year, fellow NCT members Ten, Lucas, Doyoung, Jaehyun, and Yuta joined Taeyong in debuting as soloists. Former Riize member Seunghan made his solo debut in 2025.

The following tables include all current SM Entertainment artists that have been labelled by SM as having made (or are soon to make) their official debut as a soloist, typically with a full promotional cycle. It does not include artists who have only released digital singles, SM Station songs, or soundtrack songs.

+Current SM Entertainment solo artistsNameDebut yearDebut albumKangta2001PolarisLee Dong-woo2013Smile Turning to JazzZhou Mi2014RewindU-Know Yunho2015U Know YMax ChangminClose to YouTaeyeonIRyeowook2016The Little PrinceYesungHere I AmHyoyeon2018DeepKeyFaceYoona2019A Walk to RememberSuho2020Self-PortraitKaiKaiJoy2021HelloSeulgi202228 ReasonsMinhoChaseTaeyong2023ShalalaDoyoung2024YouthJaehyunJChanyeolBlack OutYutaDepthIreneLike a FlowerMin JiwoonPink, then greyChenle 2025LucidXngHan Waste No TimeHaechan TasteRenjun 2026 Echoes Between Us

Virtual +NameDebut yearDebut singleRefNaevis2024"Done"

Studio artists +NameYears activeRoleRefKenzie2002–presentShim Jae-won2002–presentChoreographer

Actors +NameYears activeRefLee Jae-ryong1986–presentYoo Ho-jeong1991–presentLina2002–presentLina debut: Lina represented by SM Entertainment: Choi Jong-yun2006–presentLee Cheol-woo2014–presentCho Jun-young2021–presentKim Ji-woo2022–presentLami2022–present

Entertainers +NameYears activeRefKim Kyung-shik1993–presentLee Dong-woo1993–present

Former artists Groups +NameYears activeDebut albumMembersRefThe Blue1992–1995; 20091st The Blue – New ReleaseTin Tin Five1993–2010Tin-Tin-FiveMajor1994Easy Rock Single 1J&J1994Guitar And Dance Single 1H.O.T.1996–2001; 2018–2019We Hate All Kinds of ViolenceS.E.S1997–2002; 2016–2017I'm Your GirlShinhwa1998–presentHaegyeolsaFly to the Sky1999–2009; 2014–2019Day by DayMilk2001–2003With FreshnessMilk debut: Milk disbandment: Black Beat2002–2007The First Performance #001Black Beat debut: Black Beat disbandment: Shinvi2002–200315 to 30Isak N Jiyeon2002–2004Tell Me BabyTrax2004–2012; 2015–2019; 2024ParadoxTrax debut and members: Trax 2024 reunion: The Grace2005–2010One More Time, OK?f(x)2009–2016; 2019Nu ABOf(x) debut, members and disbandment: f(x) debut album:

Sub-units +NameSpinoff ofYears activeDebut releaseMembersRefSuper Junior-TSuper Junior2007–2008; 2015"Rokkugo"Super Junior-M2008–2009; 2011–2015MeSuper Junior-H2008Cooking? Cooking!Super Junior-D&E2011–2015; 2017–present"Oppa, Oppa"Kim Heechul & Kim JungmoSuper JuniorTrax2011–2019Cottage IndustryKim Heechul & Kim Jungmo debut: Kim Heechul & Kim Jungmo disband: The Grace – Dana & SundayThe Grace2011"One More Chance"Exo-KExo2012–2014MamaExo-M and Exo-K debut: Exo-K and Exo-M activity period: Exo-K and Exo-M members: Exo-MGirls' Generation-TTSGirls' Generation2012–2017TwinkleExo-CBXExo2016–presentHey Mama!

Project groups