Pledis Entertainment has launched a new global audition programme titled ‘Wonder Teens’ for an upcoming group that will debut in 2023.

The South Korean music label, which is home to groups such as SEVENTEEN and fromis_9, announced earlier today (March 18) it has officially launched a new global audition programme dubbed ‘Wonder Teens’. The auditions are open to all individuals born after 2003, regardless of gender or nationality.

Taking place from March 18 through to April 17, successful applicants will be accepted as trainees under Pledis Entertainment, and will also be awarded a scholarship worth ₩3million (approximately £1,900). Trainees recruited through this programme are expected to debut in a new group sometime in 2023.

Individuals looking to audition through the ‘Wonder Teens’ programme are required to apply via the company’s website under the categories of ‘Voice’ (vocals, rap), ‘Performance’ (dance) and ‘confidence’, which comprises of any skill set where applicants can showcase their talents, which include but are not limited to modelling, acting and instrument-playing.

Meanwhile, Pledis’ parent company HYBE Labels also recently announced new online and in-person auditions for a new girl group, in collaboration with Universal Music Group’s Geffen Records.

The in-person auditions will take place in five cities in the United States across March and April, including Houston, New York, Los Angeles and more, while online auditions are open from March 7 to April 30 PST via the official HYBE x Geffen audition website.

According to the companies, anybody between the ages of 15 to 19 using she/her/them pronouns are eligible to audition. Participants may audition as singers, rappers, dancers or producers. Producers may only audition online.

Last November, at the “2021 HYBE Corporate Briefing with the Community”, the entertainment giant shared its plans to debut new groups in the United States and Japan. Through a “US local training system” in collaboration with Geffen Records, HYBE America had shared that it will reach heights that “transcend national, cultural, and artistic boundaries”.