SEOUL, Mar. 20 (AJU PRESS) -- Britain's deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden has visited the headquarters of South Korea's entertainment giant, SM Entertainment, and delved into learning about the country's music industry. During his tour, Dowden expressed his excitement towards SM's collaboration with Moon & Back, a London-based entertainment company, to create a new boy band.
In November 2023, SM agreed to provide its know-how in music production to form the boy group to its British counterpart and offer training. Moon & Back will oversee the selection of band members and produce a six-part TV series featuring the journey of the British boy group. The reality show is scheduled to air in the second half of 2024. One of the British agency's co-founders, Nigel Hall, is known for producing famous music programs such as "The X Factor" and "Britain's Got Talent."
Dowden visited SM's headquarters on Tuesday and looked around the agency's facilities, including a recording booth and studio centers. He observed the music production process firsthand, witnessing composers and lyricists at work. "As expected, they are professional artists, so I can feel that they are already sounds perfect enough even before editing," Dowden said.
“I hope that the British boy group, which is receiving systematic training from SM, will prepare well and achieve great success in the global market,” Dowden said during a conversation with SM CEO Daniel Jang. According to SM, the British politician’s interest in visiting the company stemmed from his children's passion for K-pop. The tour was also joined by Colin Crooks, the British ambassador to South Korea.
Dowden was appointed as deputy vice minister in April 2023. His recent visit to South Korea aligned with his attendance at the third Summit for Democracy, a three-day event that began on March 18.
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