The debut of the winners of Be The Next: 9 Dreamers is officially cancelled.
Financial issues have plagued the production company, Artsro, leading to this sudden decision. The winning nine members—Arthur, Yohan Mesa, Ivan, Tehll Mallari, Zor de Zilva, Smileone, Francis Adaya, Gelo Mendoza, and Dylan Burton—are left in limbo nearly five months after the show’s conclusion.
Arthur and Ivan, who are members of The Kingdom, have even returned to Korea for their current promotions instead of preparing for their re-debut with the group.
A representative from Artsro stated:
“It would be difficult for the group to debut. We regret the situation at hand.”
The financial turmoil doesn’t stop there. Celebrity mentors on the show, including Sandara Park, EXO’s Chen, Bang Yedam, MOMOLAND’s Hyebin, and AB6IX’s Park Woojin, have faced payment issues as well. Reports indicate that most received either no compensation or only partial payments. The total sum in missing fees reaches hundreds of millions of won.
In light of this, Sandara Park‘s agency, ABYSS Company, has initiated legal action to recover unpaid fees. They have filed for a seizure of Artsro’s properties.
Co-production by MLD Entertainment and Artsro saw the latter handling contractor payments, and they claim to be working on settling these debts gradually.
This controversy continues to unfold, leaving a trail of discontent among both the cast and the winning members. Stay tuned for updates.
