How to Apply to SM Entertainment

9 min read Last updated April 20, 2026 2 open positions
Blake Crosley
Blake Crosley Researched using publicly available information, hiring data, and ATS analysis.

Key Takeaways

  • SM Entertainment is a Kakao Group affiliate as of 2023. Lee Soo-man no longer controls the company, and the SM 3.0 multi-label strategy is the operating model.
  • Apply through recruit.smtown.com in Korean. SM does not use a global ATS like Workday or Greenhouse.
  • Korean fluency is effectively required for HQ roles. English-only candidates should target global business, overseas marketing, or international A&R tracks.
  • Expect two interview rounds (working-level and executive), heavy weight on the Korean self-introduction essay, and portfolio scrutiny for creative roles.
  • The Brian Kim arrest and ongoing Kakao prosecution are real governance overhangs. Read recent business-press coverage before your executive round.
  • Trainee auditions (SM Global Audition) are a separate track from employment — trainees sign trainee contracts, not employee contracts, and outcomes are not guaranteed.
  • K-pop industry mental health is a documented serious issue. Weigh the cultural fit honestly, not aspirationally.
  • Lateral hires from HYBE, JYP, YG, and Kakao Entertainment are common — name the names on your resume if you have them.

About SM Entertainment

SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. (에스엠엔터테인먼트, KOSPI: 041510) is one of the original 'Big Four' Korean K-pop entertainment companies, headquartered in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, with creative operations housed in the Acro Forest complex. Founded in 1995 by Lee Soo-man — frequently called the 'father of K-pop' — SM pioneered the modern idol training-and-debut system that the entire global K-pop industry now copies. The company designs, produces, manages, and markets pop acts end to end: discovery, multi-year trainee development, songwriting and production, choreography, music videos, world tours, fan platforms, and merchandising. The company you are applying to in 2026 is not the company Lee Soo-man built. In early 2023, SM was the center of a hostile takeover battle: HYBE (BTS's label) attempted to seize control, and Kakao + Kakao Entertainment counter-bid and won. Lee Soo-man sold his roughly 14.8% personal stake and stepped away from operational control. Kakao now holds approximately 40% of SM, making it a Kakao Group affiliate. Co-CEOs Jang Cheol-hyuk and Tak Young-jun have run SM since 2023 under a multi-label 'SM 3.0' strategy meant to create internal competition between production centers. In July 2024, Brian Kim (Kim Beom-su), Kakao's founder, was arrested in connection with alleged stock-price manipulation tied to the SM acquisition; that prosecution is ongoing as of 2026 and is a live governance overhang. SM's current artist roster includes aespa, RIIZE (the boy group debuted in 2023), Red Velvet, NCT (NCT 127, NCT Dream, WayV — the original NCT 'rotational' system is being dismantled and consolidated), EXO (active members plus military-service rotations), SHINee, Super Junior, TVXQ, BoA, and Kangta. Subsidiaries include SM Studios (production), SM C&C (concerts and tours), Mystic Story (a JV with veteran songwriter Yoon Jong-shin), and Dear U (the Bubble fan-messaging app, separately listed as KOSDAQ: 376300). Headcount is roughly 700 to 1,000 full-time employees, plus a much larger floating population of trainees, choreographers, vocal coaches, language teachers, and contract producers. SM competes head-to-head with HYBE, JYP Entertainment, YG Entertainment, Cube, Starship (also under Kakao), FNC, and Pledis. Working here means working inside Korean entertainment-industry culture: long hours, project-driven sprints around comebacks and tours, strong hierarchy, and a demanding aesthetic standard. The K-pop industry has a documented mental-health crisis, and SM has been part of that history; this is something candidates should weigh honestly before joining.

Application Process

  1. 1
    Open recruit

    Open recruit.smtown.com (the SM Careers portal). Korean-language fluency is effectively required to navigate the site, read job descriptions, and complete the application form.

  2. 2
    Create an account and complete the SM applicant profile: education, work history

    Create an account and complete the SM applicant profile: education, work history, language scores (TOEIC, OPIc, JLPT, HSK as relevant), portfolio links, and military service status for male applicants.

  3. 3
    Filter open postings by department: A&R, Producing, Choreography, Visual/Creativ

    Filter open postings by department: A&R, Producing, Choreography, Visual/Creative, Artist Management, Concert/Tour Production, Marketing, Global Business, Corporate (HR, Finance, Legal, IT), and Trainer roles (vocal, dance, language).

  4. 4
    Submit the Korean-language resume (이력서) and self-introduction essay (자기소개서)

    Submit the Korean-language resume (이력서) and self-introduction essay (자기소개서) — the 자소서 is heavily weighted in Korean entertainment hiring and should be specific, honest, and tied to SM's catalog.

  5. 5
    Attach a portfolio for creative roles: A&R candidates send track lists with cred

    Attach a portfolio for creative roles: A&R candidates send track lists with credits, producers send audio with stems or session info, choreographers send video reels, visual directors send concept decks.

  6. 6
    Pass document screening (서류전형), then expect a written test or assignment for som

    Pass document screening (서류전형), then expect a written test or assignment for some tracks (translation tests for global roles, A&R taste tests for music roles).

  7. 7
    Interview rounds: typically a working-level interview with the team lead, then a

    Interview rounds: typically a working-level interview with the team lead, then an executive interview. Producer and senior creative roles can include a panel with a CEO or COO.

  8. 8
    Reference and background checks; for roles touching artist data or finance, expe

    Reference and background checks; for roles touching artist data or finance, expect a more thorough check given SM is a listed company under Kakao governance.

  9. 9
    Offer, contract review, and onboarding

    Offer, contract review, and onboarding. Probation periods of three to six months are common; full-time conversion is not guaranteed, especially for contract-based creative tracks.

  10. 10
    Separate path for trainees: SM Global Audition (online and in-person) and weeken

    Separate path for trainees: SM Global Audition (online and in-person) and weekend Seoul auditions. This is not an employment track — trainees sign trainee contracts, not employment contracts, and the selection-to-debut funnel is brutal.

Resume Tips for SM Entertainment

recommended

Write the primary resume in Korean

Write the primary resume in Korean. An English resume can be attached as a secondary file for global roles, but the Korean 이력서 is the document SM's recruiters actually screen.

recommended

Use the standard Korean resume layout: photo, personal info block, education, wo

Use the standard Korean resume layout: photo, personal info block, education, work experience reverse-chronological, certifications, language scores, awards, and self-introduction.

recommended

Quantify everything

Quantify everything. 'Managed three album cycles for a four-member group, including a double-platinum release and a 12-city tour grossing X' beats 'Managed artist projects.'

recommended

Name the SM-relevant catalog you have worked with or studied

Name the SM-relevant catalog you have worked with or studied. Showing you understand the SMP (SM Music Production) sound, the aespa KWANGYA worldview, or the RIIZE positioning signals taste.

recommended

For A&R and producer roles, include a credits sheet (works, collaborators, relea

For A&R and producer roles, include a credits sheet (works, collaborators, release platforms, streaming numbers) and at least one demo link with clean stems.

recommended

For management and corporate roles, emphasize project management under deadline

For management and corporate roles, emphasize project management under deadline pressure, multi-stakeholder coordination, and working with talent or high-profile principals.

recommended

List language scores numerically: TOEIC, OPIc level (IH, AL), JLPT N1/N2, HSK 5/

List language scores numerically: TOEIC, OPIc level (IH, AL), JLPT N1/N2, HSK 5/6. SM operates across Korea, Japan, China, and the US, and language scores are gating for many roles.

recommended

If you have experience at HYBE, JYP, YG, Kakao Entertainment, CJ ENM, or any K-p

If you have experience at HYBE, JYP, YG, Kakao Entertainment, CJ ENM, or any K-pop-adjacent company, name it explicitly — SM hires laterally from competitors and the names matter.

recommended

For visual and creative roles, attach a tightly edited portfolio (10 to 15 piece

For visual and creative roles, attach a tightly edited portfolio (10 to 15 pieces max). Recruiters will not click through 80 thumbnails.

recommended

Be honest about military service status if applicable (military service complete

Be honest about military service status if applicable (military service complete, exempt, scheduled). Korean employers ask, and ambiguity costs you.

ATS System: SM Careers Portal (recruit.smtown.com)

SM operates its own Korean-language careers portal at recruit.smtown.com rather than a global ATS like Workday or Greenhouse. The portal handles posting, application intake, document upload, screening status, and interview scheduling. It is designed for Korean applicants and the UI assumes Korean as the primary language.

  • Apply directly through recruit.smtown.com — third-party listings on Saramin, JobKorea, or LinkedIn often link back to the SM portal as the source of truth.
  • Complete the full applicant profile before applying. Missing fields (language scores, military status, portfolio links) can cause silent screening rejections.
  • Upload PDFs, not Word documents, for resume and self-introduction. Photo should be a clean professional headshot per Korean resume convention.
  • The portal does not always send rejection notifications. Treat silence after four to six weeks as a 'no' and reapply to a different posting later.
  • Watch the portal during major hiring waves: pre-comeback periods (early year, summer) and post-tour windows (Q4) often correlate with new postings.
  • For global roles, an English supplemental resume is welcomed but the Korean resume remains required.
  • Keep your account updated — SM occasionally re-screens past applicants for new roles and a stale profile is a missed opportunity.

Interview Culture

SM interviews are direct, substantive, and Korean-style hierarchical.

Expect a working-level interview (실무진 면접) followed by an executive interview (임원 면접) for most full-time tracks. Working-level interviewers are usually team leads in the function you are applying to: an A&R lead, a producer, a marketing director, a tour production manager. They will probe your craft knowledge, ask you to react to specific releases, and test whether you can handle the operational tempo of the K-pop calendar (constant comebacks, overlapping group schedules, immediate-turnaround creative briefs). The executive interview is more about fit, judgment, and your ability to represent SM to artists, partners, and the Kakao-era leadership. Co-CEOs Jang Cheol-hyuk and Tak Young-jun and senior division heads can sit in for senior creative or strategic roles. Expect questions about why SM specifically (not HYBE, JYP, YG, or Kakao Entertainment), your read on the 2023 Kakao acquisition and the SM 3.0 multi-label structure, and how you would handle a crisis (an artist scandal, a release-day technical failure, a fan-community backlash). Dress code is business formal for executive rounds, business casual for working-level. Be punctual to the minute, use polite Korean honorifics, and bring printed copies of your portfolio. English is acceptable for global-business and overseas-marketing roles, but Korean is expected for any role based in Seoul HQ. Compensation discussions usually happen post-offer through HR, not in the interview itself. Negotiation is more constrained than in US tech but possible, especially for senior creative talent or candidates with HYBE/JYP/YG offers in hand.

What SM Entertainment Looks For

  • Deep, current K-pop literacy — you can name the choreographer, the producer, the visual director, and the marketing concept of recent SM and competitor releases.
  • Korean language fluency for almost any HQ role, plus English for global tracks and Japanese or Mandarin for Japan-team and China-resumption roles.
  • Operational stamina — K-pop runs on comeback cycles with short turnarounds and brutal overlaps; people who burn out at the first crunch do not last.
  • Taste discipline — the ability to defend creative choices with reasoning, not vibes, and to take notes from senior producers without ego.
  • Multi-stakeholder coordination — managing artists, parents, choreographers, costume teams, broadcasters, sponsors, and Kakao corporate at the same time.
  • Discretion — SM handles minors, mental-health-sensitive talent, and high-profile principals; leak risk and gossip are career-ending.
  • Cross-cultural sensitivity — SM's roster includes Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Western members and the audience is global.
  • Lateral experience from HYBE, JYP, YG, Kakao Entertainment, Starship, CJ ENM, or major broadcasters carries weight for mid-senior tracks.
  • Comfort with the post-Lee Soo-man, Kakao-era governance reality — the company is being restructured and candidates who romanticize the founding era will struggle.
  • Honesty about your limits — SM has watched the industry's mental-health crisis up close and increasingly values people who can sustain themselves over years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SM Entertainment still owned by Lee Soo-man?
No. Following the 2023 acquisition battle, Lee Soo-man sold his roughly 14.8% personal stake and relinquished operational control. Kakao and Kakao Entertainment now hold approximately 40% of SM combined, making SM a Kakao Group affiliate. Co-CEOs Jang Cheol-hyuk and Tak Young-jun lead the company under the SM 3.0 multi-label strategy.
What happened with HYBE and Kakao in 2023?
In February and March 2023, HYBE (BTS's label) attempted a hostile takeover of SM by acquiring Lee Soo-man's stake. Kakao and Kakao Entertainment counter-bid via a tender offer and won control. HYBE eventually withdrew from the contest. The episode reshaped the K-pop competitive landscape and is essential context for any SM interview.
Why was Brian Kim arrested?
Brian Kim (Kim Beom-su), Kakao's founder, was arrested in July 2024 by South Korean prosecutors over alleged stock-price manipulation tied to the SM acquisition. The case alleges Kakao manipulated SM's share price to block HYBE's tender offer. The prosecution is ongoing as of 2026 and is a real governance and reputational overhang for both Kakao and SM.
Do I need to speak Korean to work at SM?
For almost any HQ role in Seoul: yes. The careers portal, the resume format, the interview, the daily working language, and the artist-facing communication are all Korean. English-only candidates can realistically target global business, overseas marketing, international A&R, and some specialized creative-vendor roles, but options are limited.
How do I apply to be a trainee versus an employee?
These are completely different paths. Employment goes through recruit.smtown.com and results in a regular labor contract. Trainee applications go through SM Global Audition (online submissions and in-person weekend auditions in Seoul and select cities) and result in a trainee contract — typically multi-year, non-guaranteed, with strict expectations around training, schooling, and conduct. Most trainees never debut.
What is SM 3.0?
SM 3.0 is the post-Lee Soo-man strategy announced in 2023 that restructures SM around multiple internal production labels designed to compete with each other for artist development and creative direction. It also separates production from artist management and pushes toward more flexible, project-based structures. In practice it means the org chart is still in motion and roles can shift.
How does SM compare to HYBE, JYP, and YG as an employer?
All four are Korean entertainment majors with similar industry rhythms, long hours, and high creative pressure. SM is now Kakao-affiliated; HYBE is independent and the largest by market cap (KOSPI: 352820); JYP (KOSDAQ: 035900) and YG (KOSDAQ: 122870) remain founder-influenced. Lateral movement between the four is common and your prior label experience is portable.
What is happening with the NCT system?
The original NCT 'rotational and unlimited members' concept is being dismantled. NCT 127 and NCT Dream remain as fixed lineups, WayV continues for the China market, but new NCT sub-units are not being added. SM is consolidating around aespa, RIIZE, and new groups under the SM 3.0 structure. Expect NCT-related job postings to decline relative to roles supporting newer IP.
Is the K-pop mental health crisis a real concern for employees too, not just artists?
Yes, and you should weigh it honestly. The industry's documented mental-health issues — including multiple high-profile artist suicides — affect the broader workforce: managers, choreographers, A&R, and corporate staff who work proximate to the talent. Hours are long, schedules are unpredictable, and emotional labor is intense. Newer roles in mental-health support and artist welfare exist, but the underlying culture is a real factor in any decision to join.
Does SM hire international (non-Korean) staff?
Yes, primarily for global business, overseas offices (Japan, US, China when politically feasible), language coaching, international A&R, and roles tied to non-Korean members on the roster. These roles often require Korean as a working language even when the day-to-day market is non-Korean. Visa sponsorship for HQ roles is possible but not common — most international hires are placed in regional offices.
Is China business hiring back up?
Cautiously, yes. Korean acts have begun returning to the Chinese market in 2024-2025 after the post-2017 effective ban, with BLACKPINK's return as a high-profile signal. SM has long-standing China exposure via WayV and historical EXO-M, and Mandarin Chinese language skills are increasingly relevant for A&R, marketing, and tour roles. Treat the recovery as fragile and politically conditional, not guaranteed.
What roles are easiest to break into without prior K-pop experience?
Corporate-function roles (HR, Finance, Legal, IT, Procurement) hire on the same skill base as any Korean listed company and are the most accessible entry points if you have Korean fluency and conventional credentials. Creative and artist-facing roles (A&R, producing, choreography, artist management) almost always require either K-pop industry experience or an exceptional portfolio.

Open Positions

SM Entertainment currently has 2 open positions.

Check Your Resume Before Applying → View 2 open positions at SM Entertainment

Related Resources

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Sources

  1. SM Entertainment Careers Portal (recruit.smtown.com) —
  2. SM Entertainment Official Website —
  3. SM Entertainment — KOSPI Listing 041510 —
  4. Kakao Wins SM Entertainment Acquisition Battle (Reuters) —
  5. Kakao Founder Brian Kim Arrested Over SM Stock Manipulation (Reuters) —
  6. SM Entertainment Co-CEO Appointment Announcement —
  7. SM 3.0 Strategy Overview (Korea JoongAng Daily) —
  8. K-pop Industry Mental Health Reporting (BBC News) —
  9. HYBE Withdraws SM Tender Offer (Bloomberg) —
  10. SM Entertainment Artist Roster (Official) —
  11. Dear U (Bubble) — KOSDAQ 376300 —
  12. SM Global Audition —