Producers Scout for K-pop Talent With U.S. Appeal During KCON Fan Festival in Los Angeles
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- Mnet held open auditions for Season 4 of “Girls Planet 2027” on Aug. 14-15 at KCON in Los Angeles, with additional auditions planned later this year in New York and London.
- Girls Planet 2027 will differ from previous seasons by targeting the U.S. and Western markets through a partnership with Republic Collective, which will help promote the group and oversee its global debut rollout.
- Kim Sinyoung said singing and dancing remain essential, but strong character and personality are more important for attracting audiences, so auditions assess charm and personal history as well as technical skill.
- Girls Planet 2027 plans to begin with 100 contestants and narrow the field to about 20, while CJ ENM representatives said no decision has been made on the final number of group members.
- The “Planet” series has previously relied on live public voting, with more than 7 million viewers participating in the outcome of earlier seasons, and typically runs 10-12 weekly episodes before a live finale.
Why it matters: For Mnet and Republic Collective, the partnership changes the selection target: the show is explicitly assembling a group for U.S. and Western audiences, and Kim Sinyoung prioritizes character and personality over singing and dancing alone. The competition begins with 100 contestants and narrows to about 20, though the final group size remains undecided.
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