MIX & MATCH’s One Final WINNER, KIM DONGHYUK or New Face… That’s the Question
[OSEN=김사라 기자] As JUNG CHANWOO has been confirmed to be the sixth member of YG Entertainment’s new boy group iKON, there is now only one vacancy left. Who will the final one to be selected to join iKON will be?
On the 6 at 0am, YG posted a poster of iKON’s six members selected through Mnet’s “MIX & MATCH”, on its official blog. B.I, BOBBY, and KIM JINHWAN whose debut was already confirmed, and KOO JUNHOE, SONG YUNHYEONG, and JUNG CHANWOO selected through MIX & MATCH’s vote are included in the poster.
In MIX & MATCH, six members of “WHO IS NEXT: WIN”’s Team B as well as three new-face YG trainees competed to become the member of iKON. Fans have paid keen attention to the composition of iKON’s members for which total seven are selected through the survival audition program. Most of them thought iKON will have existing six WIN Team B members plus one new face. However, as JUNG CHANWOO, not WIN Team B’s KIM DONGHYUK, was announced as the sixth member adding to the other five selected so far, Internet users are producing different speculations about who the last member will be.
The first scenario is for KIM DONGHYUK to be announced as the final member. Considering the fact that the final result is determined 70% by the result of fan meeting vote held in Korea, China, and Japan, as well as texting-Facebook-LINE mobile vote, and 30% by judges’ scores, already-built recognition of KIM DONGHYUK who was a member of WIN Team B, cannot be ignored. That is why curiosity and interest in the last episode of MIX & MATCH is further growing. Fans who want debut of all WIN Team B members and other fans who want new faces are confronting against each other.
YANG HONGSEOK and JUNG JINHYEONG are two remaining new face trainees. YANG is the one who joined MIX & MATCH lastly. He is the youngest when considering the time of his joining the show, but he is aged the same with KIM JINHWAN, born in 1994. YANG studied abroad, so he is fluent in Korean, English, and Chinese and has handsome look as well. In the beginning of MIX & MATCH show, he was criticized for insufficient dance skills in comparison with the other members and a vocal style that differs from “YG Style”, but he expressed his desperate hope to “join iKON no matter what”, in an interview. His fan base is growing, and fans have recently given him nickname of “Hongshi” (ripe persimmon).
JUNG JINHYEONG was also criticized in the beginning that he “did not fit into the team”, because of a short training period. However, he has gradually proven his potential, showing quality performances in good harmony with the other members, in competition matches. JUNG JINHYEONG is a versatile trainee, who has a lot of skills in drum, guitar, sports, singing, dance, etc. He has many fans, too.
The selection of JUNG CHANWOO has made the last episode of MIX & MATCH more thrilling. JUNG CHANWOO has passed most of the matches of MIX & MATCH and garnered many votes in global fan vote held in Korea, China, and Japan. In collaboration match, he was even passed before SONG YUNHYEONG, who has been selected as iKON member before JUNG. So, JUNG’s selection was rather predicted in some sense, but still surprising anyway.
MIX & MATCH’s last episode in which the final member will be unveiled, will be aired on Mnet on the 6 at 11pm.
Meanwhile, the seven members of iKON will follow the footsteps of YG’s boy group, and will begin the process for their debut in earnest by showing their talent and characters as a guest on the opening stage of BIGBANG’s Japan five dome tour that will begin on the 15 and 16 in Nagoya.
2014. 11. 6.
