Produce 101 "Rocked by Major Scandal"

A major scandal has hit one of the most popular music audition programs in Korea.

The show's producers recently admitted to tampering with the votes.

Launched in 2016, "Produce 101" has had four successful seasons on the cable channel Mnet.

Every season, 101 trainees from different entertainment agencies joined the competition.

These trainees performed and took on different missions, and viewers voted on their favorite trainees after each episode.

In each season finale, 11 winners were decided, and they later debuted as a music group.

Due to other contract obligations, however, each group only stays together temporarily before disbanding.

Regardless, all four K-pop groups made by the show  - I.O.I., WanaOne, Izone, and X1 - found popularity after the program.

The distinctive concept of the show was that the winners were chosen solely by the viewers.

This encouraged audience participation in forming the K-pop groups.

Many fans excitedly discussed their favorite candidates and even spent 100 won to send their vote by text message.

However, some fans grew suspicious after the live finale of season 4 in July.

They accused the show of tampering with the results.

Later, the producers were brought in for questioning by the prosecutors.

Shockingly, the accusations proved to be true.

The producers admitted that they took bribes from some of the trainees' agencies.

They were involved in choosing the winners during all four seasons of the show.

Mnet apologized and said it would take responsibility for the scandal.

Meanwhile, the show's producers will face criminal prosecution for their actions.

 

• rock (지각을 구성하는) 암석 /  (전후좌우로 부드럽게) 흔들리다[흔들다]  tamper tǽmpər  쓸데없는 참견을 하다, 간섭하다 ((with)), 손대다, (원문의 글귀 등을) 함부로 변경하다 ((with))

• trainee  ˌtreɪˈniː (특정한 직종을 위해) 교육을 받는 사람, 수습 (직원)  Regardless 개의치[상관하지] 않고  distinctive dɪˈstɪŋktɪv 독특한 (=characteristic)

• solely  ˈsoʊlli  오로지, 단지, 단독으로  questioning  ˈkwestʃənɪŋ 질의, 심문  prosecutor  |prɑːsɪkjuːtə 소추자, 검찰관, 기소 검사

• accusation ˌækjuˈzeɪʃn 혐의 (제기), 비난, 고발, 기소   bribe braɪb 뇌물 /  뇌물을 주다, 매수하다   be involved in  에 관여하다

• face criminal prosecution  형사처벌을 받다   prosecute |prɑːsɪkjuːt  기소[고발/소추]하다     prosecution  |prɑːsɪ│kjuːʃn 기소, 소추, 고발