‘YG TREASURE BOX’ PARK JEONG WOO from Debut Group Loses to KIM YEON GYU, ‘Shock’… BANG YE DAM VS KIM SEUNG HOON Previewed
[OSEN=김은애 기자] No one on Treasure 7 can feel at ease. They must secure their spot until the end to make debut.
‘BANG YE DAM-KIM JUNKYU-HARUTO-HA YOONBIN-MASHIHO-SO JUNG HWAN’ were selected as Treasure 7, but as KIM YEON GYU won against his ‘close friend’ PARK JEONG WOO as a challenger, the debut group member was changed from PARK JEONG WOO to KIM YEON GYU, presenting shock to the viewers. The ferocious competition between the ones trying to keep their spot and the ones trying to take the spots became fiercer.
On the 4th episode of ‘YG TREASURE BOX’ pre-released through Naver VLIVE (V App) on December 7 at 10 PM, 7 members of the debut group were announced. Representative producer YANG HYUN SUK called out BANG YE DAM, HARUTO, KIM JUNKYU, HA YOONBIN, and SO JUNG HWAN as the confirmed member among the 10 trainees, while 2 additional members were confirmed after the 5 trainees’ re-challenge.
After iKON’s ‘LOVE SCENARIO’ was selected as the re-challenge song, MASHIHO and PARK JEONG WOO challenged on rapping. The results were amazing. PARK JEONG WOO, who used to receive favorable reviews with his steady vocals presented amazing rap skills, making representative producer YANG HYUN SUK make a big smile. MASHIHO and PARK JEONG WOO became the 2 additional members to join Treasure 7, the debut group.
The 21 trainees who could not join the debut group prepared for a ‘1 on 1 battle’ to challenge on the debut group. However, only 5 members with outstanding grades on the video evaluations were to receive a change to make a challenge. YG’s representative girl group BLACKPINK appeared as special judges on the ‘1 on 1 Treasure Seat Swap’, gathering the attention of viewers.
On the video evaluation that started with a tense atmosphere, CHOI HYUN SUK grabbed the hearts of BLACKPINK by mimicking a child using a jelly and his powerful dance moves. WANG JYUNHAO received favorable reviews with his confidence of by not being flustered despite his mistake, while LEE IN HONG, PARK JIHOON, and JANG YUNSEO appealed themselves with extraordinary individual skills and imitations.
‘Going Crazy’, the signal that represent Treasure 7 was also revealed through the broadcast, gathering the attention of viewers. Related officials from the recruiting team made the trainees nervous by stating, “You should keep and take the debut group spot if you want to sing the signal song”. Everyone wondered who the ones will be to sing and perform the signal song with catchy melodies and lyrics.
The first contest stage was ‘Going Crazy’ by the Treasure 7 including KIM JUNKYU, MASHIHO, PARK JEONG WOO, BANG YE DAM, SO JUNGHWAN, HARUTO, and HA YOONBIN. PARK JIHOON who watched them perform below the stage revealed his will to challenge by stating, “I don’t want to feel the emotions I felt today”.
The first defender of the ‘1 on 1 Position Swap’, a new opportunity for someone and despair for someone else, was PARK JEONG WOO. The challenger was KIM YEON GYU, selected by BLACKPINK through the video evaluations. The two ‘close friends’ who tightened their friendship as trainees of group C met as contenders this time, creating a subtle yet tense atmosphere. The two-people battled with BLACKPINK’s ‘STAY’, and the results were unexpected and shocking.
PARK JEONG WOO selected the silver card after the voting by 100 ‘Treasure Makers’, and the silver card contained representative producer YANG HYUN SUK’s decision. Representative producer YANG HYUN SUK stated, “I was prejudiced and thought PARK JEONG WOO would win prior to the performances. I chose KIM YEON GYU today since I thought he had vocals that fit the song better”. What’s even more surprising was that the selection by the 100 ‘Treasure Makers’ was also KIM YEON GYU. It was the moment when PARK JEONG WOO and challenger KIM YEON GYU’s fate changed. PARK JEONG WOO stated, “I’ll work hard to get back to the debut group” in tears.
On the unexpected debut group announcement and the member swap that followed right after, the fans also revealed their mixed feelings through the real-time chat room of Naver VLIVE (V App)’s ‘YG TREASURE BOX’ channel. The fans in and out of Korea left reviews and supported the trainees by writing, “I was glad to see PARK JEONG WOO get on the debut group, I can’t believe it”, “PARK JEONG WOO and KIM YEON GYU are both YG’s future”, “Ha… JEONG WOO lost his debut group position”, “The signal song ‘Going Crazy’ is really crazy!”. “The debut group competition is really ‘going crazy”, ‘How? How to choose the winner?”, and “This is the real family feud”.
Meanwhile, KIM SEUNG HOON was previewed as the challenger who would face BANG YE DAM next week, raising expectations on the battle between the two. As BANG YE DAM has previously stated, “I would like to avoid SEUNG HOON if I can”, people are wondering whether the two people will really face each other as contenders on one stage.
‘YG TREASURE BOX’ is a survival program to select members of a new boy group to make debut in 2019 through YG’s differentiated process of trainee casting, audition, training, monthly evaluations, and idol producing. The program airs every Friday at 10 PM through VLIVE and Naver TV.
2018. 12. 8.
