"The Unit" Denies Rumors About Trainees' Contracts And Pressuring Agencies To Participate

KBS held a press conference for its upcoming idol-rebooting project “The Unit,” with its mentors Hwang Chi Yeol, HyunA, SHINee’s Taemin, San E, and Urban Zapaka’s Jo Hyun Ah. Main MC and mentor Rain was unable to attend the conference due to his daughter’s birth.

The show was previously accused of reportedly pressuring agencies to send idols to the show by reportedly preventing them from participating in KBS music shows such as “Music Bank.”

About rumors regarding the abuse of power, producer Han Kyung Cheon stated, “We went over the contracts carefully. As it will be publicly broadcast, we also took into consideration the underage idols. We made sure that they were able to sleep and study. During the Chuseok holiday, we limited the underage idols’ filming.”

See Also: “The Unit” Responds To Criticism Of Similarities With “Produce 101”

The producer also talked about the final unit groups going on other broadcasting stations’ shows. He commented, “We think that when the teams are finalized, the other broadcasting stations may be reluctant to have them on their shows. However, KBS was the first non-CJ broadcasting station that had I.O.I on their shows. Rather than protecting our own, we are considering and trying to expand the market.”

The production crew denied rumors of forced participation as well. They stated, “We aren’t amateurs; there’s no way [there was forced participation]. As it’s a survival show, there’s a lot of psychological stress involved. So, if they didn’t want to participate, they didn’t have to do it. We asked them directly if they wanted to participate.” Producer Han Kyung Cheon also explained, “Compared to other audition shows, we don’t run on system [based on] agencies, so we’re able to work without being vested in profits. We also are not involved in the division of profits. The division of profits will be decided through a discussion involving a maximum of 18 agencies.”

“The Unit” is an idol-rebooting program for idols who have already debuted. After watching contestants carry out various missions, viewers will be able to vote for who will make up the two winning units, consisting of nine boys and nine girls each. The two teams for debut will be announced after the last performance.

The first episode will air on October 28 at 9:15 p.m. KST.

Source (1)