KBS’s New Idol Survival Show Set To Feature North Korean Defectors

KBS 2TV is ready to launch a new idol show, which will feature North Korean defectors.

According to reports, on May 8, KST, the network announced its upcoming survival show, Make Mate 1 (MA 1 hereon). The media event was attended by all the participants, along with the producers and the show’s writer. EXO’s Xiumin, who is the show’s MC, was also present at the venue, along with the star mentors, including singer Lim Han Byul, MAMAMOO’s Solar, dancer Vata, Ingyoo, rapper Hanhae, and actress Kim Sung Eun.

MA 1 is described as a “global idol debut project,” being the first one of its kind by KBS in the last six years after The Unit. Unlike the usual idol debut programs, participants on this show are all unaffiliated with any agencies. Among the 35 hopefuls who will be competing for a debut spot on this show, some are popular TikTok creators. But more interestingly, some of the candidates are also North Korean defectors, which has raised the curiosity around this program.

The idea of the show, as explained by one of the producers, is to break away from the concept of already-trained idols. Instead, they want to work with “raw” kids and present a growth trajectory in front of the audience. The producer also mentioned that when the winning contestants debut as a group, their post-debut activity period can be potentially infinite, as they do not have any prior obligations to return to any affiliated agency.

The show has not yet determined the number of contestants in the debut lineup. Regardless, it will start premiering on May 15 at 10:10 PM KST.