The Korean entertainment agency SM Entertainment is continuing to make inroads into the Chinese media industry.
On Nov. 18, SM Entertainment's CEO Kim Young Min attended a press event in Beijing that confirmed the Korean entertainment company's role in an upcoming Chinese star search competition. SM Entertainment will play a role in the formation of an upcoming Chinese male idol group.
The move is a new step in SM Entertainment's push to enter the Chinese market.
Korea's News 1 reported that SM Entertainment is partaking in the joint Korean-Chinese venture in a production aspect via it's subsidiary, SM C&C.
In June, SM Entertainment announced that it would spend the remainder of 2015 and the foreseeable pursuing a stronger presence in the Chinese entertainment industry while focusing less on the Japanese market.
SM Entertainment has a history of recruiting trainees from China and Chinese star search competitions. Currently, soloist Zhang Yi Lin, Super Junior-M's Zhou Mi, EXO's Lay and f(x)'s Victoria are SM Entertainment's only three active Chinese artists. f(x)'s Amber and Super Junior-M's Henry are also of Chinese descent.
In the past, EXO and Super Junior had other Chinese members. However, over the years Chinese members of both groups filed contract nullification lawsuits against the company; lawsuits are currently ongoing between the entertainment agency and three former EXO members.
The Chinese idol production show, roughly translated to be titled "Shine On, Youths" will feature ten trainees split into two teams of five.
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Tamar Herman is a multi-media journalist and the co-founder of KultScene. She is a freelance writer and copy editor, and has written for MTV Iggy, Noisey, and Paste Magazine.
