Weekly Kpop News: Produced by Who? An overview of the Produce 101 scandal
by: Daniel posted: 4 months ago
With the arrest of the Produce Series Director and the admission that Produce 101 Seasons 3 (Produce 48) and 4 (Produce X 101) have been manipulated, the future of the currently active groups, IZ*ONE and X1, are in flux. Here’s a recap of the key individuals affected by this scandal:
April 1st, 2016:
The final episode of the first season (Produce 101) led to the formation of the group I.O.I. The group was rumoured to have postponed to their comeback due to the scandal. No news has been released on the legitimacy of the votes in this season.
June 16th, 2017:
The final episode of the second season (also titled Produce 101) led to the formation of the group Wanna One. No news has been released on the legitimacy of the votes in this season. During the show, there were rumours of trainees manipulating the song selection portion of the show through individual messaging platforms.
August 31, 2018:
The final episode of the third season (Produce 48) led to the formation of the group IZ*ONE. The producers Ahn Joon-young and Kim Yong-bum have already been arrested with vote-rigging charges, and as of this point in time, no indication has been provided on the number of individuals affected by the final rankings. It is unclear whether the final 12 members selected for the group are, in reality, the top 12 members selected through public votes. IZ*ONE's latest comeback, initially scheduled for November 11, 2019, has been postponed indefinitely. Variety shows appearances involving IZ*ONE members have also been edited to cut out members.
July 19, 2019:
The final episode of the fourth season led to the formation of the group X1. Shortly after the conclusion of the show, 272 members of the audience filed a lawsuit against Mnet for electoral fraud, leading to further investigation. The producers Ahn Joon-young and Kim Yong-bum have already been arrested with vote-rigging charges, and as of this point in time, no indication has been provided on the number of individuals affected by the final rankings. It is unclear whether the final 11 members selected for the group are, in reality, the top 11 members selected through public votes. It is noted that the X1 members have yet to sign a deal with CJ E&M, suggesting that this project group can end without any warning.
What are your thoughts on the scandal so far? Comment below.
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