BTS' agency Big Hit launches survival show 'I-Land' to find future K-pop star

Big Hit Entertainment, the media company behind the immensely popular K-pop band BTS, is launching a singing competition show which will search for the "new BTS."

The South Korean management company, in collaboration with mass media company CJ E&M, will be launching an idol survival programme next month through their joint venture 'Belift Lab,' reports South China Morning Post.

The show, titled I-Land, will premiere on June 26. Min Nam-goong will be the host and storyteller of the new show which will be aired on South Korean music TV channel Mnet. The K-pop singers who emerge victorious on the show will be selected to form a new boy band.

The large-scale global idol project has reportedly been in the works for three years, with a total budget of 20 billion won (US$16.2 million) invested in its production. A massive complex has also been built in South Korea dedicated to the show.

The global hunt for potential future K-pop stars was started in March last year, with the first round of auditions held in Seoul in categories of rapping, dancing, singing, acting, and modelling. Male K-pop band aspirants born between 1997 and 2008 auditioned in the United States, Japan, Taiwan, and other major centres as well.

According to the outlet, the partnership will use Big Hit's expertise in managing K-pop bands, combined with CJ's content production capabilities. CJ has been credited for producing a wide variety of similar shows such as "Superstar K," "Show Me The Money," as well as the highly successful franchise "Produce 101," which was embroiled in a vote-rigging controversy.

Unlike the "Produce 101" series, the upcoming show "I-Land" will not have a voting system. The audience will not have any influence on the final line-up, and instead the judges will evaluate the contestants' performance as they progress through the programme. Veteran singer Rain and rapper-producer Zico have been confirmed as mentors on the show.

"We will help participants with infinite potential to develop skills as artists. As the general producer, I have high expectations on how they will grow," said Bang Si-hyuk, founder and CEO of Big Hit Entertainment.