Mnet “Kingdom” has responded to reports of unfair treatment.
“Kingdom” is the male version of Mnet's competition program “Queendom” and will feature THE BOYZ, Stray Kids, ATEEZ, BTOB, iKON, and SF9 as competitors.
On March 29th, according to an exclusive report from Ilgan Sports, “Kingdom” recently finished filming the show for the hit song mission. During the hit song mission, the agency of one group raised the issue that there was bias regarding the stage setting. In particular, one group stage was decorated with expensive sets and props and another group manager asked the production team to maintain a fair environment for all the contestants.
“Kingdom” previously informed the group that the maximum stage production cost for the hit song mission is 5 million won (approximately $ 4,416). The purpose of this production cost limit is to ensure each group is fair, as they all have different stage personalities as well. However, one group in the competition reportedly received special treatment, it was even suspected that the group had the support of CJ ENM. The rumors started because the stage set and the props they used easily exceeded the 5 million won (approximately $ 4,416) limit.
The production team tried to stop the unfair treatment, explaining that it was because the group decorations came from their concerts, but other groups raised this issue, because they all had concert experience too. It was even reported that the unfair treatment had become so severe that several of the group's agencies went to Mnet to complain about the matter.
In response to the reports, Mnet “Kingdom” has released the following official statement:
“As this is the first round of competition, we set a budget to coordinate the performances of the six groups fairly, but we apologize for not taking into account the determinable details such as limits and possible situations. After the first round of competition, the production team realized the severity of the problems related to this aspect.
However, because we had to prioritize the artist's creative for the best performance, we had concerns and were careful to provide specific guidance regarding all aspects of stage set production.
The production team of 'Kingdom' is working hard so that artists can focus on their performances and create the best performances by having close communication with the six groups and their agencies. We will do our best so that the next round of competition can run smoothly. "
“Kingdom” is scheduled to premiere on April 1 at 7:50 p.m. KST. The program will be hosted by TVXQ's Changmin, while fellow member Yunho will only appear as the host for the segment he is recording due to the ongoing controversy. (koreanarea.com)
