New Idol Program Launched with North Korean Defectors as Participants?

The production presentation for KBS 2TV’s idol program “MA1″took place on May 8. This show marks the return of KBS to the global idol debut project genre after a gap of approximately 6 years since “The Unit”.

Among the participants appearing in this audition, there are popular TikTokers and even North Korean defectors, which is unusual compared to other auditions and has sparked even more curiosity.

Director Ra Hyun-woong reiterated the program’s emphasis on “growth,”expressing, “Our goal is to move away from the concept of a perfect idol. These contestants are still raw and inexperienced. We faced difficulties in capturing the final ending pose, having to reshoot multiple times. However, I believe it’s more important to witness their growth together rather than striving for perfection.”

The director also revealed plans for the future activities of those who will debut during this period of growth. While the exact number of debut members is still undetermined, the post-debut period is expected to be “endless”.

Director Ra believes that if these boys, who currently have no agency affiliation, debut with us, they will have an endless period of activity. As long as they continue to receive love and support, they could potentially have a successful career for up to 10 years. The activity period for trainees is limited as they eventually have to return to their respective agencies, but with proper care and support, we can create a group that can work together for a prolonged period of time.

Furthermore, the first episode of “MA1″is scheduled to air on the 15th at 10:10 PM (KST).

The source for this information can be found on Naver at this link.