The Context of Kep1er’s Unprecedented Contract Renewal
The future of Kep1er, the first temporary Mnet survival show group to renew their contract, provides unexpected ramifications for the industry. The group will continue making history when they make their first seven-member comeback in November. Kep1er originally consisted of the top nine contestants from Girls Planet 999, and debuted on January 3, 2022.
Many people expected Kep1er to disband in July 2024 after their 2.5-year contract expired. However, days before the release of their supposed last album, Kep1er managed to extend their lifespan as a seven-member group. On May 30, 2024, their co-management WAKEONE and the now defunct Swing Entertainment, announced that Yujin, Xiaoting, Chaehyun, Dayeon, Hikaru, Huening Bahiyyih, and Youngeun renewed their contracts. Mashiro and Yeseo concluded their activities in Kep1er after their Japanese concert Kep1going on July 15.
Classification of Mnet Survival Show Groups
Eight years have passed since Mnet launched its survival show empire, forming many temporary groups from the original PRODUCE 101 series, which ran from 2016 to 2019, and the Planet series, which started in 2021. These differ from ones formed on shows like 2017’s Idol School, which introduced fromis_9 with an initial five-year contract, and 2024’s I-LAND2 N/a, which created izna with a traditional seven-year contract. The terms of each group’s contracts varied:
PRODUCE 101 (2016)
I.O.I’s 10-month contract allowed members to promote in other groups at the same time. Jung Chaeyeon debuted in DIA, Kim Sejeong and Kang Mina debuted in gugudan, and Yoo Yeonjung debuted in WJSN during I.O.I’s career. The group debuted on May 4, 2016, and disbanded on January 29, 2017.
PRODUCE 101 Season 2 (2017)
WANNA ONE’s exclusive 18-month contract disallowed members’ participation in “any activities previously organized by their agencies.” Hwang Minhyun of NU’EST and Ha Sungwoon of HOTSHOT could not promote with their original groups at the same time. WANNA ONE debuted on August 7, 2017, and disbanded on December 31, 2018.
PRODUCE 48 (2018)
IZ*ONE signed a 2.5-year contract, and endured a months-long hiatus during the 2019 Mnet vote rigging scandal. Miyawaki Sakura, Yabuki Nako, and Honda Hitomi paused activities with their respective groups, AKB48 and HKT48, during IZ*ONE’s career. I*ZONE debuted on October 29, 2018, and disbanded in April 2021.
PRODUCE X 101 (2019)
X1’s five-year contract restricted members to exclusively promoting with the group for the first 2.5 years; it granted the option to participate in other activities concurrently for the remaining half. X1 debuted on August 27, 2019, but prematurely disbanded on January 6, 2020 during the Mnet vote rigging scandal.
Girls Planet 999 (2021)
Kep1er’s initial 2.5-year contract matched their predecessor IZ*ONE. “COVID-19 concerns” delayed their original debut date from December 14, 2021 to January 3, 2022. Kep1er was set to disband in July 2024, but their contract renewal has not disclosed a future disbandment date. Former members Mashiro and Yeseo made their redebut with MADEIN in September.
BOYS PLANET (2023)
ZEROBASEONE’s 2.5-year contract also matches IZ*ONE’s. The group debuted on July 10, 2023, and is set to disband in January 2026. No outlets have reported any related contract negotiations at this time. Mnet is currently recruiting participants for the next Planet iteration, Planet B.
Kep1er’s Reintroduction as a Seven-Member Group
Mashiro and Yeseo returned to their original company 143 Entertainment after July 15, resulting in Kep1er’s seven-member lineup. Kep1er performed as seven for the first time at KCON LA 2024 on July 26. The terms of their renewed contract are unknown, but the group recently gained new management.
WAKEONE partnered with KLAP Entertainment, who currently manages VANNER and SISTAR19, to handle Kep1er’s new career path. KLAP Entertainment CEO Lee Sun formerly served as the head of CJ ENM’s music business division, which houses WAKEONE. KLAP Entertainment began as a subsidiary of South Korean gaming company NCSoft, which created the label in 2020 to manage its UNIVERSE app. Kep1er joined the interactive service in 2021, and released a UNIVERSE-exclusive song called “Sugar Rush” in 2022.
The Future of Mnet Survival Show Groups
As a Kep1er fan who got into K-Pop weeks after WANNA ONE debuted, this series of events still shocks me. Many of Kep1er’s predecessors held contract discussions but still disbanded. The upcoming comeback will show Kep1er’s early steps in this uncharted territory. The previews of their unreleased B-side “sync-love” indicate their group synergy will remain strong.
It also seems that Mnet will pause the female seasons of the Planet series. Their plans to create another boy group in 2025 indicates a female successor will not debut soon. The upcoming Planet B prequel program will outline the next season’s recruitment process.
Edited by Clark Royandoyan