K-pop Auditions in Asian Countries!

If you have a dream of becoming a star in Korea ^^ maybe this is your chance! As far as I know, many entertainment companies like SM and JYP have already started their auditions abroad in USA and China but this one is a bit different. It's a collaboration of entertainment companies and a support from the Seoul City government to promote hallyu through K-pop. As you can see there are already few K-pop stars who are not Koreans like Nichkhun of 2PM who is from Thailand and Chinese nationals Victoria Song of F(x) and Wang Fei Fei and Meng Jia of Miss A, are currently making scenes in the K-pop industry. This time, I guess Korea wants more diversity, so who knows you might be the next shupahstah! hehe 

Here's an article I read from Koreatimes about the audition. It's

entitled K-pop auditions to hunt for S.East Asian talent. Anyway, just a side comment, Taiwan and Hong Kong are not part of Southeast Asia politically but geographically, yes, haha anyway here's the article:

International K-pop auditions will take place for aspiring stars in Southeast Asia granting a chance to make their dream of becoming another Nichkhun of 2PM and Victoria of f(x) come true.

Fox International Channels, Cube Entertainment and CJ E&M will jointly produce “K-Pop Star Hunt” during the second half of this year, with Seoul City supporting the shooting of the program in Korea, according to the city government, Sunday.

The audition reflects the popularity of Korean culture in Asia, especially music, a city official said.

“In the press briefing held in Taiwan Friday, the Taiwanese media showed great interest in the auditions, and the interest peaked when boy band Beast appeared,” a city official said.

The preliminary stages will take place for the selected 14- to 24-year-olds in Taiwan, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Hong Kong, from the end of September through early November.
Applications will be received for a month from the middle of August.

After selecting 100 people in the primary round, the top 10, two from each country, will be chosen after the second stage.

Those 10 will then receive training from Cube Entertainment, the agency for Beast and 4Minute, for four weeks in Seoul from the middle of November. The final will be held in mid-December.

The winner will become a K-pop singer with the agency.

Among the 10 episodes, the first three will be filmed in the five countries and the other seven, in Seoul, according to the city.

“Channel V and Star TV will air the program, and the Korean counterpart has not been decided yet. We are discussing it with several cable networks, including Mnet,” the official said.

As the final will be held in Seoul, the program will feature various attractions in the city, with the top 10 visiting tourist destinations and enjoying Korean food, a good chance to promote the city, according to the city government.

“We’ll support the filming and have the city’s logo appear in the program, so that millions of Southeast Asian viewers can see Seoul as the center of ‘hallyu’ (Korean Wave),” the official said.

By Kim Rahn (rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr)

http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/07/117_91531.html