In a makeshift audition booth at the Los Angeles Convention Center, a constant flow of K-pop enthusiasts auditioned over the past weekend.
During the annual KCON Korean entertainment and culture festival, auditions were held on Aug. 14-15 for the upcoming season of “Girls Planet.” This show is a band-making story where viewers vote to select members of a new all-female K-pop group.
Veteran South Korean TV producer Kim Sinyoung leads “Girls Planet 2027” as well as the previous three seasons of the “Planet” series. He attended KCON in downtown L.A. to observe the open-audition turnout at this event, which was produced by CJ ENM, the company behind “Girls Planet” and owner of Mnet, the South Korean network airing the show.
Season 4 presents a new twist as Mnet partners with Republic Collective, a major music industry player, aiming to form a K-pop group appealing to U.S. and Western audiences. Republic, which houses many top pop, rock, and country acts, will work with the “Girls Planet” team to promote the band and oversee a global launch of their debut project.
“We are teaming up with Republic Collective to directly target the U.S. market with a new girl group. That’s the major shift from previous seasons,” Kim Sinyoung explained to Variety.
Mnet’s “Planet” music competition has expanded its success beyond Korea to countries like Thailand and Japan, where it airs on the free streaming platform Abema.
Through his work on the “Planet” series, Kim Sinyoung has uncovered important insights about talent and stardom. While musical ability is crucial, he notes that it’s just one element needed for artists, known as “idols” in K-pop, to achieve true stardom.
“Skills like singing and dancing are vital for this talent show, but a strong character and personality are even more important to capture audience attention,” Kim Sinyoung emphasized. “We are focusing on assessing character during auditions, not just singing and dancing skills.”
Two judges who screened walk-up auditions for the K-pop talent competition series “Girls Planet” during the KCON Korean culture festival in downtown Los Angeles. (Variety/Cynthia Littleton)
The show plans additional auditions later this year in New York and London, and Kim Sinyoung intends to return to Los Angeles for further talent scouting. Through a translator, Kim Sinyoung highlighted the attributes he seeks in “Girls Planet” contestants.
“He’s looking for qualities that make the audience fall for the applicants,” he said. “People might be drawn to various aspects, whether it’s exceptional skills, personal stories, or simply a contestant’s character or charm. That’s what he’s searching for.”
Like previous seasons, “Girls Planet” will start with 100 contestants, narrowing down to about 20. CJ ENM representatives noted that no final decision has been made on the number of members for the new group.
Past seasons typically span 10-12 weekly episodes, with a live finale similar to ABC’s “American Idol” and NBC’s “The Voice.” The show’s finales are thrilling as public votes are counted live, according to Kim Sinyoung. More than 7 million viewers have voted in previous seasons.
“It feels like watching a presidential election with live vote counts,” Kim Sinyoung remarked.
The “Planet” series has successfully launched K-pop acts in recent years. Kim Sinyoung expressed gratitude for turning his childhood passion for MTV and music competition shows into a producing career. After studying in New York, where he enjoyed reading Variety magazine, he returned to Korea to excel in the music-related TV industry. This has given him a firsthand view of the nation’s transformation due to the global rise of K-pop, Korean films, TV, beauty products, food, and cultural exports.
Kim Sinyoung attended the first KCON in Los Angeles over a decade ago, when it was a much smaller event.
“Back then, the audience wasn’t as large,” he said, noting the clusters of fans inside the L.A. Convention Center. “It’s surprising to see such a large crowd lining up to audition for ‘Girls Planet.’ It makes me very happy.”
