SBS announces plans for K-pop girl group audition program 'Universe Ticket'

An image for the upcoming K-pop girl group audition program, Universe Ticket. [F&F ENTERTAINMENT]

SBS is planning to air its first ever K-pop girl group audition program in the latter half of the year to roll out a female act active in both the real and metaverse worlds.

The program, with a tentative title translating to "Universe Ticket: The Miracle of 82," will center around the number 82, Korea's country calling code.

Eighty-two female trainees will go through 82 special missions to try to earn a spot to debut as an eight-member K-pop idol group. The eight final members will be active in the metaverse and real life and will be managed by F&F Entertainment, the co-production company of the program.

Any female trainees between the age of 10 to 19 will be eligible for the program, regardless of the management agency they are currently in.

“Universe Ticket” is produced by Lee Hwan-jin, who was also behind the hit SBS variety show “Running Man” (2010-) and the boy group audition program “Loud” (2021).

“I’ve looked through all the audition programs that aired in the last couple of years, and they all have their pros and cons. We aim to maximize the pros and find ways to minimize the cons,” said Lee.

“We plan to introduce and emphasize a voting system where the trainees themselves cast votes, to make up for the issues in conventional audition shows, where certain trainees are favored or edited out. This is to make the viewers judge the trainees, not based on their skills formed over short-term intense training, but with fundamental skills, through focusing on the trainees' real personality, teamwork and diligence."

F&F Entertainment is a subsidiary established by the fashion company F&F in 2023, famous for their MLB and Discovery branded clothes.

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]