Survival Audition K-pop Star (Korean: 서바이벌 오디션 K팝 스타) is a South Korean reality competition television series where three entertainment/talent agencies in South Korea hold worldwide auditions to find the next potential K-pop stars.
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), two brand new vehicles, opportunities to become commercial models and casting in dramas, and many more benefits.
K-pop Star is a part of SBS's Good Sunday lineup, along with Running Man.
[6] Jun Hyun-moo and Yoo Hye-young became the new hosts of Season 3, replacing Yoon Do-hyun and Boom.
[7] The fourth season aired from November 23, 2014 to April 12, 2015 every Sunday evening at 4:50 pm KST,[8] with Girl's Day's Yura as live host, replacing Yoo Hye-young.
[10] 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.
Applicants showcase their talent to production staff who determine if they are suitable and eligible for the main audition.
Judges cast contestants they want to see receive further training at their respective company for two weeks in an effort to improve their skills.
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.
[14] The first season of K-pop Star debuted on December 4, 2011 in the Good Sunday 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.
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.
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.
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.
[19] The highest rating was 19.5% on episode 18 which featured the Top 6 competing, beating the top-rated 1 Night 2 Days.
[25] The format of the show was sold to China in May 2013, producing a localized C-pop Star on Shandong TV.