Open auditions are quickly becoming a hot topic in K pop as more agencies turn to public recruitment to find their next stars.
At the start of the new year, major entertainment companies are moving beyond the traditional casting director system and actively opening auditions to the public. Source Music, the agency behind GFriend and Le Sserafim, officially announced its first ever male group audition, marking a major change in its trainee recruitment approach.
At the same time, KOZ Entertainment, home to Zico and BOYNEXTDOOR, revealed plans to hold a nationwide audition tour to discover new rookies who could follow in the footsteps of their current artists.
Source Music’s Global Boy Audition is open online until the 25th, with any male born in 2008 or later able to apply regardless of nationality or location. Meanwhile, KOZ Entertainment’s auditions will be held across five cities including Seoul, Busan, and Jeju, with applicants born between 2008 and 2016 eligible to apply with no limits on nationality or gender.
As more major agencies join this movement, industry insiders say open auditions are becoming a steady recruitment trend, giving companies access to a wider talent pool while allowing future idols to show their attitude and commitment by applying on their own.
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