JTBC to air new idol audition show to form Belift Lab's new girl group

Shootings for the new show have already begun, agency Belift Lab said on Thursday. [BELIFT LAB]

A new girl group audition program, "R U Next?" will begin airing on JTBC on June 30 to form Belift Lab's first-ever girl group.

Shootings for the new show have already begun, agency Belift Lab said on Thursday.

"Participants wishing to debut will receive training through a thorough curriculum, passing through the doors of the survival show one by one, proving their potential and star qualities," it said in a press release.

There will be a total of seven rounds of competition in the program, each with the theme of "possibility, expressiveness, genre adaptability, professionalism, uniqueness, creativity and star qualities."

"While heated competitions are unavoidable, we will focus on a healthy image based on the different stories of each trainee and their relationships," producers added.

Belift Lab is an entertainment agency formed through a joint venture between entertainment media companies CJ ENM and HYBE. The agency debuted boy band Enhypen through the audition program "I-LAND" (2020).

"I-LAND 2," a sequel to the 2020 boy band audition to form Belift Lab's next girl group, was teased in September 2021, but no further updates have been made.

Belift lab said that "R U Next?" is "a completely different project" from "I-LAND" but did not provide further details on the show.

"R U Next?" will be a 10-episode show that will air on JTBC and Japanese streaming service AbemaTV starting June 30. It will air every Friday at 8:50 p.m.

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