The growth process of the first boy group launched by SM Entertainment (hereinafter referred to as SM) in the UK will be revealed through British public broadcaster BBC.
This is part of a project promoted in collaboration with MOON&BACK (M&B), a British entertainment company, by the North American integrated corporation of SM and Kakao Entertainment (hereinafter referred to as Kakao Enter).
The 5-member group born through this project aims to advance into overseas markets such as Europe and the United States. M&B directly cast the members in the UK, while SM provided the group's training in music, choreography, and vocals using its K-Pop expertise.
The growth process of this group, set to debut in the second half of the year, will be produced as a 6-part TV series titled "Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience" and will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this summer.
This is expected to attract the attention of not only the British audience but also global music fans.
The TV series details the K-Pop training process and the musical growth of the British boy group members who stayed in Seoul for 100 days. SM's Artist Development Center was in charge of casting and training, with world-class choreographers and composers participating in the training process.
Nigel Hall, co-founder of M&B, said, "Forming a British boy band and presenting them on the global stage after undergoing unparalleled K-Pop training will be a world-first and an unmissable broadcast."
This project is part of SM and Kakao Enter's global strategy, and the two companies plan to continue their business cooperation in various ways, such as producing global local IP and establishing networks with leading partners worldwide. This aims to accelerate their global market penetration and raise expectations for future projects.
One expert commented, "Unlike the existing method where K-Pop groups debut in Korea and then advance overseas, this localization strategy targeting the global market from the start is noteworthy."
Moreover, this TV series is expected to serve as an opportunity to showcase the excellence of the K-Pop training system to the world. A K-Pop education expert predicted, "As SM's training system is recognized globally, this will reaffirm the competitiveness of the K-Pop industry."
Meanwhile, M&B, the partner company for this project, is an entertainment and TV program production company based in London, UK, with a broad global network. Industry attention is focused on the synergy effect that the combination of M&B's network and SM's K-Pop expertise will create.
If this project proceeds successfully, it is expected to become a new milestone in the global strategy of SM and Kakao Enter. Furthermore, the impact on the overall K-Pop industry is expected to be significant. Attention is focused on how the growth and debut process of this British boy group and their global activities will unfold.