Key to success is self-discipline says Dean of SM’s new education institution 

GLOBAL – this is the latest title acquired by veteran K-pop composer Hong Jong-hwa, one of the first producers in the K-pop scene. K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment founded SMU in April as an education institution to pass down the K-pop training system, in collaboration with cram school franchise Jongno Hagwon and modeling agency ESteem.
 
SMU is open to applications from any country, which has naturally garnered attention from K-pop enthusiasts in and outside of Korea. The academy saw 1,200 applicants for its trial course, which took place over the past two months.  
 
The signature K-pop star training system — going through years of training, deciding a group’s concept and debuting with a trendy bop — dates back to 1989. Hong has played an integral role in the establishment of such system. He was a key composer at SM Productions (translated), the former name of SM Entertainment, best known today for top K-pop acts like TVXQ, Girls’ Generation, SHINee, Exo, Red Velvet, NCT and aespa.  
 
After serving as an affiliated professor of applied music at Howon University, Hong is currently an affiliated professor of electronic music production at Dong-Ah Institute of Media and Arts.  
 
Dean Hong recently sat down for an interview at SMU in Apgujeong-dong in southern Seoul’s Gangnam District with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, to talk about SMU and his vision for the future of K-pop.