A McMath grad is now one step closer to fulfilling his dream of becoming a Korean pop (K-pop) idol, and Richmondites can play a part in his journey.
Richmond’s Brian Ho, 20, will be making his debut on Korean TV next month in an upcoming audition show titled Boys Planet where he will compete against 97 other contestants. The final winners will form a new K-pop group, and they will be wholly decided by votes from viewers all over the world, including Richmond.
Ho graduated from McMath Secondary in 2020 and some might remember him as one of the winners in Fairchild Radio’s Sunshine Nation contest in 2019. He was also one of Richmond’s BGM Dance Studio’s first students when it opened in 2019 and had starred in the studio’s very first K-pop dance cover video.
“He is very dedicated to his goal of debuting as a K-pop idol,” said Dylan Gao, BGM’s director.
He described Ho as a humble person and was one of the most diligent members at the studio.
Ho moved to Korea to pursue his dreams in 2022, and according to his contestant profile, he has been training under the music label Yue Hua Entertainment for 10 months. He aims to finish in eighth place on Boys Planet.
Boys Planet is a sequel to the popular 2021 show Girls Planet 999, which created the popular K-pop girl group Kep1er. The contestants are divided into two groups, with Korean contestants in one and international contestants in another.
Both shows are produced by the Korean TV channel Mnet, known for its extensive catalogue of K-pop content including audition shows such as Produce 101, Superstar K, Show Me The Money and Street Woman Fighter.
Other notable contestants include Hoe-taek (Hui) Lee, singer-songwriter and leader of veteran K-pop boy group Pentagon; Dong Yeol Lee and Hwan Hee Lee, members of another veteran boy group Up10tion; and Ho Young Jeon, who made a cameo in Netflix’s To All The Boys: Always and Forever.
K-pop auditions more challenging for foreign participants
According to Gao, being accepted into a Korean entertainment company or even qualifying for an audition show is a difficult hurdle to overcome, especially for those who don’t live in Korea.
“The (audition standards) for K-pop companies are very high,” said Gao. “Even though a lot of our students have participated in auditions, only a small number has managed to pass.”
For Ho and other idol hopefuls from outside of Korea, the biggest challenge is most likely their command of the Korean language, said Gao.
“They must excel in other aspects, such as their visuals, vocals and dance skills. They must stand out to stand a chance (against their Korean competitors).”
But those dreaming of stardom in Korea have not shied away despite the massive hurdles. In fact, BGM has now introduced a program to train students in singing and dancing specifically for industry auditions in response to overwhelming demand.
The program, which is also intended to help participants become familiar with being on camera, requires participants to film three to four videos per month and train for more than 10 hours a week.
And as the globalization of K-pop continues and K-pop groups now have more non-Korean members, Gao is optimistic that international performers will find it easier to get their foot in the door.
The first episode of Boys Planet will air on Feb. 2, 2023, and content from the show is also available on Mnet’s YouTube channel.
