Is it the aftermath of the character controversy? Trainee Kim Gun-woo's screen time has noticeably decreased.
The second episode of Mnet's 'Boys Planet', aired on the 24th, featured the K Planet signal song test. Along with this, the K Planet text voting rankings were revealed, where it was confirmed that Kim Gun-woo, who was embroiled in controversy over bullying and his agency affiliation, along with Kang Woo-jin, had significantly reduced screen time.
Both were introduced as 'individual trainees' without an agency during the first broadcast, but it was later revealed that they are actually under Wake One, a label under CJ ENM, which sparked controversy. This seems to be a result of the production team's decision for extensive editing.
Kim Gun-woo, who had been a hot topic as the K Planet center before the broadcast, ranked 9th, dropping two spots from last week's ranking. Kang Woo-jin was ranked 5th.
In the selection process for the killing part of the signal song 'Ola', Kim Gun-woo performed on stage with participants Jung Hyun-jun and Yoo Kang-min, and later secured the killing part based on the trainees' voting results. Here, Kim Gun-woo briefly expressed, "I was bewildered and very happy," but no special narrative was revealed in the editing. This was in stark contrast to the overwhelming praise he received from the masters in the first episode, highlighting the difference in his broadcast time.
Recently, Wake One stated regarding Kim Gun-woo and Kang Woo-jin, "The two participants are currently appearing in the program in their personal capacity and are indeed trainees under Wake One." They explained about Kim Gun-woo, "The program application and evaluation were in progress before the trainee contract. He prepared to appear in the program as an individual, so he could not participate with existing Wake One trainees," and added, "After discussions, it was decided that he would appear as an individual."
Regarding Kang Woo-jin, they mentioned that he is a trainee who has been practicing with the goal of becoming a singer-songwriter, stating, "There is a difference in the broadcast and musical concept, and he has no experience in idol training. We believed it was more appropriate for him to appear as an individual rather than as a Wake One trainee."
However, it is clear that both are indeed Wake One trainees. Before Wake One's statement was released, many viewers expressed disappointment, describing it as 'deception.'
Ultimately, Wake One sought to conclude the controversy by terminating contracts with the two. They also reflected on the character controversy surrounding Kim Gun-woo, stating, "We regret that we failed to fulfill our duty of protection as an agency."
With the controversy surrounding Kim Gun-woo not fully resolved, the production team has chosen to minimize screen time rather than completely edit him out, cautiously engaging with the viewers.
Meanwhile, during the signal song test, Yumeki from One Million, a dance survival show 'Street Man Fighter', showcased rapid growth by receiving an All-Star. Master Lim Han-byeol praised him as "the participant with the greatest growth in vocal ability" and expressed anticipation for his future.
On the other hand, 'Boys Planet' is a world-scale project where global star creators directly debut and elevate the boys to the top. Boys who started from two different planets, K Planet and C Planet, are gathering into one planet, and there is intense interest from the global fandom regarding how their journey towards the sun will unfold.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
