Kangta to Helm SM's New SMArt Label, Launching with Yim Si-wan's First Solo Album

By  Kang Kyung-youn  | Nov 3, 2025

Kangta to Helm SM's New SMArt Label, Launching with Yim Si-wan's First Solo Album
Kangta and Im Si-wan
Kangta, lead vocalist of first-gen K-pop pioneers H.O.T., has been tapped as executive producer overseeing SM Entertainment’s newly launched music label SMArt.

According to SM Entertainment, SMArt aims to blur genre lines and continually expand the company’s sonic palette, pairing distinctive art direction with end-to-end production to deliver fresh, style-forward sounds.

SMArt’s first artist is Yim Si-wan. The label will produce his debut solo album, slated for release in December, with a global fan tour rolling out early next year to bring him closer to fans worldwide.

As SMArt’s executive producer, Kangta takes on a key leadership role. Since 2014, he has served as a non-registered director at SM and worked as an in-house creative director. He also led SMASHHIT under SM’s publishing arm, Kreation Music Rights (KMR), as executive producer.

SM Entertainment noted that Kangta will get hands-on across artist projects while also spearheading the discovery and development of emerging songwriters, bolstering support for new creative talent.

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)