‘Boys Planet’ Fan Vote-Rally Events Skyrocket to $1 Billion, Sparking Controversy
As the final debut lineup of Mnet’s ‘Boys Planet’ is set to be unveiled tonight, fan-driven vote-encouragement events have escalated to an unprecedented level, raising concerns.
Ahead of the live finale, fan communities for several contestants have launched extravagant 'Final Live Vote Events,' offering substantial rewards to boost their idol's chances. Prizes range from 21-don gold bars, luxury handbags from Chanel and Hermès, Cartier watches, and the latest AirPods Pro 3, to various gift certificates. Other fan groups have pledged high-value Samsung Bespoke home appliances like washing machines, dryers, and refrigerators, alongside tickets to live English Premier League matches.
The total estimated value of these fan-funded event prizes reportedly exceeds $1 billion (approximately 1.3 trillion Korean Won), leading to worries that the integrity of the voting process may be compromised. Some fans are reportedly considering voting for contestants with higher chances of winning these events, a trend likely fueled by the narrow point margins observed among contestants ranked 4th to 16th in the previous survivor announcement.
The final debut members of ‘Boys Planet’ will be determined during the live broadcast tonight, April 25th, at 8 PM KST. The final results will combine the first round of voting (held from April 18th to April 25th, 10 AM KST) and the second round during the live broadcast (with votes counted twice). The voting breakdown is 50% Korean fan votes and 50% global fan votes. The 16 finalists revealed on April 18th are Kang Woo-jin, Kim Geon-woo, Kim Gun-woo, Kim Jun-min, Kim Jun-seo, Park Dong-gyu, Yoo Kang-min, Yuki, Lee Rio, Lee Sang-won, Zhang Hao, Jay, Kim Ji-woong, Sung Han-bin, Han Yu-jin, and Keita. The final debut members will be announced tonight.
‘Boys Planet’ is a global K-pop boy group survival show produced by Mnet. The final members who will form the debut group are selected through worldwide fan voting. The show emphasizes fairness in its voting process and result tabulation.