HYBE, Geffen Records announce audition project to find new K-pop girl group

HYBE and Geffen Records are gearing up for a joint global audition project to launch a new K-pop girl group, the K-pop powerhouse said Thursday.

Titled “World Scout The Final Piece,” the audition project is held across Japan. Applications began Wednesday and will continue through Sept. 22 via the official website.

Women or non-binary people between the ages 15 and 24 are eligible to enter.

Audition winners will undergo a K-pop-style training program from October to December, developed by HYBE and Geffen Records for the U.S. market.

The final members for the new girl group will be selected after the training period, and will gear up for debut next year.

The entire process of the audition will be released as a reality show on the Japanese streaming service Abema in spring of 2026.

The two companies previously co-produced the six-member girl group Katseye, which debuted in June 2024 through the global audition program “The Debut: Dream Academy (2023). The group is known for songs “Touch” (2024), “Gnarly” and “Gabriela.”

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]