''Survival Audition K-pop Star'' ( ko, 서바이벌 오디션 K팝 스타) is a South Korean

reality TV Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

competition series where three entertainment/talent agencies in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

hold worldwide auditions to find the next potential

K-Pop K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, gos ...

stars. Preliminary auditions are held around the world in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The final winner debuts with the company of his or her choice, along with a cash prize of three hundred million won (approx. 300,000

U.S. dollars The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

), two brand new vehicles, opportunities to become commercial models and casting in dramas, and many more benefits. The original three judges for the series were

Yang Hyun-suk Yang Hyun-suk (born January 9, 1970) is a South Korean music executive, rapper, dancer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame as a member of Seo Taiji and Boys during the 1990s. After the group disbanded, he founded and became the Ex ...

, founder of

YG Entertainment YG Entertainment Inc. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production compa ...

and former member of the popular South Korean act

Seo Taiji & Boys () was a South Korean music group active from 1992 to 1996. The three members of the boy band, Seo Taiji, Yang Hyun-suk and Lee Juno, experimented with many different genres of popular Western music. Seo Taiji and Boys was highly successful a ...

Park Jin-young Park Jin-young (Hangul: 박진영; born December 13, 1971), also known by his stage names J. Y. Park and The Asiansoul or the initials JYP, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer, record executive, and reality television show ju ...

, singer/songwriter and founder of

JYP Entertainment JYP Entertainment Corporation () is a South Korean multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate founded in 1997 by J. Y. Park. It is one of the largest entertainment companies in South Korea, and operates as a record label, tale ...

, and Korean pop icon

BoA Kwon Bo-ah (; born November 5, 1986), known professionally as BoA, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and actress. One of the most successful and influential Korean entertainers, she has been dubbed the " Queen of K- ...

, from

SM Entertainment SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies where it was established in 1995 by record executive and record producer Lee Soo-man. The company ha ...

. SM, YG, and JYP are the three largest management companies in Korea. BoA was replaced by singer-songwriter

You Hee-yeol You Hee-yeol (; born April 19, 1971) is a South Korean singer-songwriter, radio disk jockey, and the host of ''You Hee-yeol's Sketchbook''. He is the founder of the record label Antenna Music and the sole member of the project band Toy. Biogr ...

Antenna Music Antenna (Hangul: 안테나) is a South Korean record label founded by You Hee-yeol of the band Toy in 1997. Formerly an independent label, it was fully incorporated as a subsidiary under Kakao Entertainment in August 2021. History South Kore ...

for Season 3. With the changes in judges for the third season, the three judges no longer represent the "Big 3" management companies. ''K-pop Star'' is a part of SBS's ''

Good Sunday ''Good Sunday'' ( ko, 일요일이 좋다) is a South Korean reality-variety show shown on the SBS network, which competes directly against MBC's '' Sunday Night'' and KBS2's ''Happy Sunday'' line-up. The program has suffered from the competit ...

'' lineup, along with '' Running Man''. The show's first season aired on December 4, 2011, every Sunday evening at 6:30 pm, until April 29, 2012. The second season aired from November 18, 2012 to April 14, 2013 at 4:55 pm. Singer

Yoon Do-hyun Yoon Do-hyun (born February 3, 1972) is a South Korean hard rock/folk rock singer, musician, and songwriter. He is the founder and lead vocalist of the Yoon Do-hyun Band (YB) since 1996. Yoon is also an MC on TV variety programs (notably ''Yoo ...

and entertainer

Boom Boom may refer to: Objects * Boom (containment), a temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill * Boom (navigational barrier), an obstacle used to control or block marine navigation * Boom (sailing), a sailboat part * Boom (windsurfi ...

hosted the live competition for Season 1 and 2. Yoon Do-hyun narrated through the entire process in Season 1 and 2. The third season aired from November 24, 2013 to April 13, 2014, every Sunday evening at 4:40 pm KST. Jun Hyun-moo and Yoo Hye-young became the new hosts of Season 3, replacing Yoon Do-hyun and Boom. The fourth season aired from November 23, 2014 to April 12, 2015 every Sunday evening at 4:50 pm KST, with

Girl's Day Girl's Day () is a South Korean girl group formed by Dream T Entertainment in 2010. The group consists of members Sojin, Minah, Yura, and Hyeri. Members Jisun and Jiin officially left the group in 2010, while Jihae left in late 2012. Afte ...

's Yura as live host, replacing Yoo Hye-young. The fifth season began airing on November 22, 2015. The sixth season was announced to be the final season of ''K-pop Star'', titled ''K-pop Star 6: The Last Chance''. Changes to the format have been made to the final season to encourage anyone to participate in "the last chance" to become a K-pop Star. The final season aired in November 2016.

Process

Applications + Preliminary auditions

Applicants can apply by phone or online during summer months, with preliminary auditions taken place in the summer months from June to September. Applicants showcase their talent to production staff who determine if they are suitable and eligible for the main audition. Many singers and idols from the three companies also help out in the preliminary audition process. Potential contestants may also audition through SBS Radio programs and bypass the preliminary auditions altogether. Preliminary auditions are held not only in

, but around the world in

, and Australia as well.

Talent Audition (Season 1-6)

Contestants who passed the preliminary auditions now face the three judges in the first round of auditions. Contestants showcase their talent in singing and/or dancing, and must receive at least two of three passes from the judges or be given a wild card from one judge to proceed to round two.

Ranking Audition (Season 1/2/4/5/6)

Contestants who passed round one meet with the judges of their choice for further advice and help. Following the "Contact Audition", the contestants are organized into different groups representing their strongest talent (singing, keyboard, dancing, groups, etc.). The contestants in these groups are then ranked by the judges, with a cutoff set by the judges to decide who is eliminated.

Good, Fair, Poor Audition (Season 3)

Similar to "Ranking Audition", contestants choose a judge for further advice and help, with judges grading their contestants as "Good", "Fair", or "Poor". The contestants in these groups are then judged comparatively, deciding who is eliminated and who proceeds to the third round. An undetermined number of contestants from the "Good" group may pass, but only up to three teams can pass from the "Poor" group.

Team Mission (Season 3-6)

Contestants form teams amongst themselves to perform for the judges, showing their possibilities when collaborating with others. Groups of two teams each compete with each other, with all members of the winning team passing to the next round and at least one member of the losing team is eliminated.

Casting Audition (Season 1-6)

Remaining contestants who pass round two now once again face the judges with new performances and must be cast by one of the judges to advance to the next round. Judges cast contestants they want to see receive further training at their respective company for two weeks in an effort to improve their skills.

Battle Audition (Season 1-6)

Following the casting of contestants to the three companies, one contestant of each company are once again grouped to face off and determine who will proceed to the finals. In each group, the first placing contestant automatically receive a spot in the Top 10, with the second placing contestant facing the other second placed contestants later, and the last placing contestants are eliminated.

Stage Audition (Season 1-6)

The Top 10 now compete in the finals for the title of ''K-pop Star''. The finals are broadcast live, in front of a live studio audience, lasting for nine weeks. The judges score each contestant, with a cumulative highest score of 300, as well as viewer voting online and through SMS, to determine the contestants score with the lowest scoring contestant eliminated. In Season 2, the first three rounds involved the Top 10 competing 1:1 on the live stage with the results determined by the judges. One contestant from each group is chosen to proceed to the next round with the contestants not chosen being saved by either SMS voting by viewers or a "Wild Card" used by the judges.

Judges

The show has three judges. Originally, they represented each of the "Big 3" companies ( SM, YG, and JYP).

, who represents YG, is the founder and

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

, as well as producer and former member of

Seo Taiji and Boys () was a South Korean music group active from 1992 to 1996. The three members of the boy band, Seo Taiji, Yang Hyun-suk and Lee Juno, experimented with many different genres of popular Western music. Seo Taiji and Boys was highly successful ...

, who represents JYP, is the founder and executive producer of

, as well as a singer-songwriter.

, who represents SM, is a singer, songwriter, and record producer at

. Founder and CEO of SM Entertainment,

Lee Soo-man Lee Soo-man (, born 18 June 1952) is a South Korean business executive and record producer who is best known for being the founder of SM Entertainment, a multinational South Korean entertainment company based in Seoul. He has also been referred ...

, was originally planned to represent SM but was replaced by BoA, as PD Park Sung-hoon explains that having a female singer would produce a different synergy effect with the other two CEOs as compared to having three CEOs and producers. For the third season, BoA decided to leave to focus on her music career. Singer-songwriter

Yoo Hee-yeol You Hee-yeol (; born April 19, 1971) is a South Korean singer-songwriter, radio disk jockey, and the host of ''You Hee-yeol's Sketchbook''. He is the founder of the record label Antenna Music and the sole member of the project band Toy. Biogr ...

replaced her as a representative of mid-sized management companies. Although SM is no longer a part of the judging panel, they will continue to partner with the program. As the "Big 3" companies are no longer reflected by the judges, the focus will shift to the judges themselves and to represent the music industry as a whole. BoA returned on the final episode of Season 3 to perform the theme song, ''

One Dream "One Dream" is a Korean-language song performed by South Korean pop singer BoA. It features Henry of Super Junior-M and Key of Shinee. The song was used as the theme song for the reality series ''K-pop Star'' and included in BoA's fifteenth alb ...

'', with past contestants of the season.

Seasons

Season 1

The first season of ''K-pop Star'' debuted on December 4, 2011 in the ''

'' timeslot in an effort to boost ratings. As a first in Korean audition history, the "Big 3" companies coming together to find and create the next ''K-pop Star'' became a hot topic. Thousands of applicants applied to have a shot at becoming the next big thing in

. A collection of talented contestants with different skills and backgrounds, as well as the interesting comments and evaluations from the judges proved to catch viewers attention, becoming a ratings success. The winner, Park Ji-min, and runner-up Lee Ha-yi, went on to become successful singers in the K-Pop industry, with other contestants debuting and in the process of debuting as well.

Season 2

The success of season one sparked the renewal of the show for season two. The second season first aired on November 18, 2012 and featured a similar format with the same judges and hosts. The ratings for this season were not as high as the previous season, but still remaining on the top of its timeslot. Contestants this season were criticized for not being as talented or interesting as the previous season, as well as large disagreements between viewers and the judges opinions. A downtrend of audition programs in South Korea are also a cause for the decrease in popularity and ratings despite the immense popularity of Superstar K4 which is held on the same year.

Season 3

Despite a decline in popularity and ratings, the show was renewed for a third season, first aired on November 24, 2013. With the changes in judges for the third season, changes to the format occurred, including the choice of company for debut to be made immediately on the live finale.

Season 4

The program was renewed for a fourth season premiering on November 23, 2014. Improvements to the format occurred. The same judges from Season 3 returned. Artists and representatives of each company, as well as a studio audience were added. Auditions took place from June to September 2014.

Season 5

The program was renewed for a fifth season premiering on November 22, 2015.

Season 6

The program was renewed for a sixth and final season premiering in November 2016. Changes to the format were made to the final season, with restrictions lifted for potential contestants to encourage anyone to participate in "the last chance" to become a K-pop Star. Existing trainees of companies as well as singers who have already debuted are allowed to participate. The winner of the final season will not choose which company to debut with, but instead will be jointly debuted and promoted by all three companies (YG, JYP, Antenna).

Winning contestants

Ratings

Overall ratings of ''K-pop Star'' have been positive, with the first season topping over same timeslot competitor '' 1 Night 2 Days'' on April 1, 2012, and two to three times higher than previous programs in the same timeslot. The first episode of season one drew a rating of 9.3% (AGB nationwide ratings), the lowest of the season, and ended with a rating of 17.6%. The highest rating was 19.5% on episode 18 which featured the Top 6 competing, beating the top-rated ''1 Night 2 Days''. The second season saw a decline in ratings, although a solid start with 14.0% on the premiere episode. The highest rated episode was episode 4 at only 14.6%, and the final competition at 12.5%. The season ended with a special episode featuring contestants from both seasons competing for title of ''Overall Champion'', which was the lowest rated episode of the entire series (7.7%). Despite intense competition in ratings, the third season managed to rank first in its timeslot for most of its run, with the highest rating of 12.9% on episode 10.

International

The format of the show was sold to China in May 2013, producing a localized ''C-pop Star'' on Shandong TV.