'Re:Born' is a reality survival show for K-POP groups aiming for a Japanese debut, airing Fridays at 10 PM on Space Shower TV and ABEMA.

Reality survival program 'Re:Born' is currently airing every Friday at 22:00 on Space Shower TV and ABEMA. Twelve K-POP boy groups (AIMERS, BeMAX, BXB, DIGNITY, DKB, DXMON, EASTSHINE, E'LAST, L5th, WAKER, WEUS, XODIAC) that debuted in Korea but could not shine are competing seriously for their official Japanese debut. The program is receiving enthusiastic responses not only from Japan and Korea but also from global fans. In conjunction with the filming of the final mission on November 4 in Korea, it has been decided to live stream the final stage on the official YouTube channel starting at 17:00 on the same day. The winning team will be determined by viewer votes from Japan, and the production teams from Japan and Korea hope that viewers will be able to watch the final performance of the Re:Born boys live. In addition to the regular voting period from October 12 to November 3, it was also announced that additional voting (Re:Born final mission voting) will be accepted for three hours from 17:00 to 19:59 on November 4. An interview has also been released where the executive producer of 'Re:Born', Jang Hyuk-jin, talks about the behind-the-scenes of the program. (C) Re:Born Production Committee - Many survival programs have been born in both Korea and Japan, but what was the motivation to launch 'Re:Born'? Jang: The reason we planned 'Re:Born' at this timing is that I actually wanted to do it a little earlier. Since the world entered the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, many kids who debuted were not given promotional opportunities and ended up buried. I thought about whether we could give them a chance to revive, and that’s when I came up with the idea for 'Re:Born'. I wanted to give opportunities to idols from small and medium-sized companies in Korea, even though the budget was limited, so I planned this program. I actually wanted to start the program when COVID-19 was over, but it took time to gather funds, and we were finally able to broadcast at this timing. Initially, there were many negative opinions about producing the program. The most common comment was that reviving kids who had already debuted but were buried is much more difficult than promoting newcomers. Naturally, as someone leading the project, I thought it was rational to choose something with a higher chance of success, but I couldn't just abandon those kids who had debuted but were caught in a bad timing due to COVID-19 and were not given any opportunities. So, I decided to keep the program concept unchanged and launched it with the cooperation of the companies involved in the production committee, and we were finally able to broadcast it. I am honestly grateful that there are people watching 'Re:Born' and supporting and voting for it, even though many audition programs are running simultaneously in both Korea and Japan. (C) Re:Born Production Committee - Jang Geun-suk's role as MC is also attracting attention. Jang: Jang Geun-suk is one of the most successful artists in Japan. The reason we asked him to be the MC is that the intention of the 'Re:Born' program itself is to revive buried kids and provide them with a place to succeed in Japan. We thought we could get advice from a senior who has succeeded in Japan, and we had a great deal of trust in his high MC skills and flexibility, so we asked him to be the MC, and he kindly accepted. - The judges for the boy groups' performances include KARA's Gyuri, Nicole, and god's Kim Tae-woo, who are all K-POP legends. Jang: Kim Tae-woo from god, Shin Yumi, and Choi Hyo-jin are judging, and from the second mission, KARA's Gyuri and Nicole will also appear as judges. Kim Tae-woo is the main vocalist of god, known as the original idol in Korea, and is among the top in singing ability. He has a long history as an idol, so I thought he could provide the best advice on music and surviving in the entertainment industry. Shin Yumi is well-known as a singer and vocal trainer, especially for her work on survival programs like 'PRODUCE 101', and is highly regarded in the industry for her accurate advice. She has also trained BLACKPINK as a vocal trainer. A few years ago, a survival program called 'STREET WOMAN FIGHTER', which featured female dancers competing in skills, became a huge hit in Korea. Choi Hyo-jin became famous from this program and is active as a dancer and choreographer. She is known for her strict judging, and I thought she could provide a lot of advice on dance performances. (C) Re:Born Production Committee. Gyuri and Nicole from KARA, who participated in the J-POP showdown of the second mission, are well-known for being the ones who ignited K-POP in Japan. Many fans of KARA still exist in Japan, and I think many remember how all the members worked hard to learn Japanese to communicate directly with Japanese people. Because they have worked hard in Japan, I thought they could provide special advice to the participating boy groups, so they joined from the second mission. - How were the 12 boy groups selected to participate? Jang: We took a considerable amount of time to cast the boy groups before filming began. The intention of the program is not only to showcase the skills and abilities of the artists but also to maximize their human charm and stories. Therefore, we took time to discuss with various agencies and artists in Korea to decide on the participants. The 12 teams participating in 'Re:Born' each have their own stories. I have also had the opportunity to interact with them on set, and even when the cameras are not rolling, I feel that everyone has a sense of urgency. For the Korean members, there is military service, and for members from abroad, they have made a significant commitment to come to Korea. As someone working in Japan, I cannot help but feel for Japanese artists active in Korea, and seeing young people in their teens and twenties leaving their parents and persevering in harsh environments often brings tears to my eyes. (C) Re:Born Production Committee - It’s a delightful initiative for artists and fans, but will the winning team be revealed during the live broadcast? Jang: The live broadcast on November 4 will only show the stage performances. The announcement of the winning team will take place in the final episode airing on November 29, so please look forward to it. After the live broadcast, the show will continue, and from episode #7 onwards, we will focus on the behind-the-scenes stories of the five teams. Jang Geun-suk, who has been conducting the program on stage, will step away from the stage and provide advice to the boy groups at a very close distance as an artist, so I hope you will watch it. The winning team chosen by viewer votes from 'Re:Born' will debut in Japan next spring, but we would appreciate continued support for the other 11 groups that were not selected as the winning team. (C) Re:Born Production Committee. Program Information: 'Re:Born' Final Mission Performance Live Broadcast is scheduled to start on November 4 (Monday, holiday) at 17:00 on the official YouTube channel of 'Re:Born'. [Re:Born Final Mission Voting Method] Voting Period: November 4 (Monday, holiday) 17:00 to 19:59 1. Click the 'Vote Here' button on the voting page of the official 'Re:Born' website. 2. Log in with your Rakuten ID. 3. Vote for one artist from the five groups. *Regular voting will be conducted until November 3 at 23:59. ■ Related Sites: 'Re:Born' Official Site.