BTS label Hybe announces global auditions for new girl group project
Hybe, the music label behind K-pop superstars BTS, has announced a new global girl group project, 'World Scout: The Final Piece."
The group formed from this project will be set for debut in 2026. It will start with an audition in Japan, where one applicant will be selected for the final lineup - implying further audition calls in the future. The website does not specify nationality under the eligibility criteria, cementing the group's position as an international one.
Televised programme
The Korea Herald reported that the project will be televised in spring 2026, showing the entire process of forming a girl group - right from the audition process all the way till the group's conception.
According to the official website, the selected applicants will undergo a training camp in the US, all of which will be filmed. The "K-pop style training" will be geared towards global audiences, the report quotes Hybe's statement as saying.
The Japan audition is open to applicants from ages 18 to 24.
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International audiences
This move is part of a larger shift of the K-pop industry, and Hybe in particular, towards international audiences.
Hybe, in collaboration with Geffen, debuted the hit global girl group Katseye in 2023, with six members from all over the world. Hybe Latin America has announced a boy group called Santos Bravos, set to be formed this year through a similar reality/training show with the same name.
Other K-pop labels such as JYP have introduced global groups as well. JYP's Girlset (recently rebranded from their old name, 'VCHA') consists of four members from the US.
Recently, Hybe announced that it would open a new office in India between September and October 2025, hoping to tap into another huge market. This would be the fifth subsidiary, after US, Latin America, Japan, and Beijing.
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