SM to select members of new NCT subunit through pre-debut reality program

"NCT Universe: LASTART," SM Entertainment's first-ever pre-debut reality program to find members for boy band NCT's last subgroup, will air on July 27. The show, which will be broadcast in Korea, Japan and the United States simultaneously ...

“NCT Universe: LASTART,” SM Entertainment’s first-ever pre-debut reality program to find members for boy band NCT’s last subgroup, will air on July 27. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

"NCT Universe: LASTART," SM Entertainment's first-ever pre-debut reality program to find members for boy band NCT's last subgroup, will air on July 27.

The show, which will be broadcast in Korea, Japan and the United States simultaneously, will find SM Entertainment trainees that will debut as NCT's final fixed-member subgroup, one of the three new groups that the agency will launch this year.

"This will be the last chapter in NCT's unlimited-expansion universe," SM Entertainment said.

Twenty-member boy band NCT is known for its unique subgroup systems, where members are divided into smaller subgroups, NCT 127, NCT Dream, WavV and another one with the working title of NCT New Team.

NCT 127, named after Seoul's longitude, is the band's subgroup based in Seoul, whereas WayV is the band's subunit that targets the Chinese audience. NCT Dream consists of seven younger members of the boy band, while NCT U is the boy band's subunit with flexible member compositions.

The show will see SM Entertainment's senior artist BoA and Eunhyuk of Super Junior participating as artist directors, guiding and reviewing the trainees. Other artists from the agency will also feature in the show.

"The show will provide the viewers a peek into SM Entertainment's new [idol] group launching process that was never revealed before, showing the member composition, behind-the-scene practicing sessions, and the process of forming the final team members," the agency said.

The reality show will air its first episode on July 27. In Korea, the show will be available through cable network ENA and streaming services Tving, Hulu and Nippon TV in Japan and Kocowa+ in the Americas.

To find out more about NCT, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]