Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience

This is a music experiment like no other. A collaboration with K-pop talent powerhouse SM Entertainment and Kakao Entertainment America, this six-part series follows five boys from across the UK as they are put through the K-pop training process with the goal of launching a new boy band on the global stage. Shot in South Korea across the first six months of 2024, in this first-of-its-kind series, we see the boys immersed into K-pop culture and put through the original K-pop training process for 100 days. They will face a schedule of intense choreography, vocal and performance lessons, and life-coaching techniques, alongside an immersion into all aspects of Korean life - set against Seoul's striking landscapes and iconic K-pop locations.

In this episode, the band come to terms with the reality of being in the toughest boyband bootcamp in the world. After a poor assessment by head of training and casting, Hee Jun Yoon, the boys discuss the fallout and what they need to do to improve. But band member James is besieged by medical issues, first a bad knee and then a bout of tonsilitis. In between intense vocal training and choreography, the band meet up with K-Pop legend Shindong from Super Junior, who sets them a dance challenge at the top of the fifth tallest building in the world – the Lotte Tower. Will the band make it onto the infamous Sky Walk Bridge? The K-Pop Cowboy returns, this time to give the boys a day off at Seoul's largest theme park. This week's song, Solar, is to be performed at the School of Performing Arts, Seoul, in front of 500 students. It's the first time the boys have performed in front of a live audience, but one of them is absent – will they pull together and make it as a four-piece? Twenty-four hours later, the boys come face to face with Hee Jun Yoon, SM Entertainment's director of training and casting, who evaluates their school performance. Have they managed to up their game and earn her seal of approval?

The band attempt the bedrock of any K-pop group – the music video. K-pop is all about image, so the team have brought in stylists Cheri and Nara to give the boys a makeover for a new song called Life Is a Movie. After a brutal evaluation from head of training Hee Jun Yoon, Blaise has a crisis of confidence and is struggling to fit into the band. In addition, he has a leg injury, which rules him out of training for three days. In an attempt to get the boys to bond, they take part in a traditional Korean sport called belt wrestling, under the watchful eye of their Korean culture mentor Shindong from hit K-pop band Super Junior. Following a week of intense training, the band film their first music video at a disused fairground called Yongmaland. And as it's a music video, they won't have to sing live. But will they master the art of lip syncing?

Dexter, James, Olly and Reese try to build bridges with band member Blaise, who's feeling increasingly isolated from the rest of the band. In the training room, they try choreography wearing a blindfold in an attempt to master their moves, but will the band turn the corner and get approval from K-pop creator Heejun Yoon? They also immerse themselves in Korean culture as they visit a traditional folk village with K-pop legend Shindong, and they are taken to a Korean food market by the K-Pop Cowboy, who encourages them to sample some local delicacies, including pig's trotters, chicken feet and octopus. Have they got the nerve to try everything?

Blaise, Dexter, James, Olly and Reese want to improve their stamina when it comes to performing, so K-Pop idol Shindong enrols them on a military style bootcamp in order to boost their fitness. The boys are put through their paces by former special services commander and presidential bodyguard Sergeant Choi Young Jae, but will the boys live up to his high standards? The band also have to perform their first ever ballad written by internationally renowned hitmaker Wayne Hector, who has penned number ones for some of the world's biggest bands. There's no choreography to learn, but can they master their vocals and impress the K-Pop creator Hee Jun Yoon? Meanwhile, Dexter is still dealing with a constant stream of negative feedback from the training team and ramps up his vocal training in order to crack the problem. As their K-Pop journey enters its final phase, the band receive video messages from their loved ones at home, but there's a shock in store as Hee Jun unveils a surprise evaluation and stamina test which challenges the band like never before.

The band enter their final week of training in South Korea and have to perform for two very different audiences. First up is a crowd of 700 dignitaries at the British Embassy as part of King Charles's birthday celebrations. Then their toughest audience yet, a group of eager K-Pop fans who are ready to pass judgement on Blaise, Dexter, James, Olly and Reese. What will they make of the pop world's newest band? With just one evaluation left, Dexter is keen to impress the K-Pop creator Hee Jun Yoon and turns to his band mates for support. Can he control his breathing and finally get the approval of his toughest critic? Social media influencer the K-Pop Cowboy takes the boys on a high-speed water challenge to show them how to create content that could go viral. And as the boys bid to say farewell to Seoul, they reflect on the past hundred days and their hopes for the future, but will they leave with the blessing of Hee Jun Yoon as they embark on the next phase of their pop adventure?