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A report by the news outlet Hankook Ilbo has outlined further allegations about the manipulation of “Produce 101.”
On December 5, the report states that the rankings of all members of IZ*ONE and X1 were rigged. In addition, one member of Wanna One has reportedly made into the final lineup due to ranking manipulation.
According to the written indictment, people including chief producer Kim Yong Bum and producing director Ahn Joon Young are under suspicion of already deciding the lineups of IZ*ONE and X1, regardless of viewer votes. Ahn Joon Young is also under suspicion of manipulating the number of votes of one member of Wanna One so that he would debut.
On July 17 of this year (two days before the “Produce X 101” finale), three people including Kim Yong Bum and Ahn Joon Young met in a CJ ENM meeting room to decide the 11 trainees they wanted to debut and determine their rankings. This was reported to be done because they have seen that in the halfway results of the pre-finale online voting, there were trainees who had already debuted in other idol groups in the Top 11 ranking, so they wanted to exclude them.
The investigation has revealed that the May online votes and on-site votes were manipulated so that one trainee who would have made it in the first round ceremony was actually eliminated, and another trainee was selected instead.
In the third round that determined the Top 20, it’s said that they used the same method to swap two people around.
The IZ*ONE members were also reportedly decided before viewers even voted. Kim Yong Bum and Ahn Joon Young decided on the 12 members and their rankings before the voting in the August 2018 live finale. Whereas for “Produce X 101,” they saw that the pre-finale online votes included the trainees they did not want in the Top 12, and so they determined the lineup while excluding those trainees that were supposed to be in the final lineup.
One member of Wanna One was also reported to be chosen because of the manipulation of the number of votes. Ahn Joon Young switched the rankings of two trainees in the June 2017 live finale of “Produce 101 Season 2.” A trainee who was in the Top 11 did not make the debut lineup, and instead a trainee who was outside of the Top 11 became a member of Wanna One.
In addition, Ahn Joon Young reportedly switched the rankings of two trainees in the May 2017 first round of “Produce 101 Season 2” that decided the Top 60, therefore eliminating a trainee who should have continued in the competition and boosting someone else. He also reportedly did the same thing in the February 2016 first round of “Produce 101,” eliminating two trainees who should have continued and increasing the rankings of two other contestants.
The collusion between the production team and executives at entertainment agencies was also revealed in the investigation. From January 2018 to July 2019, Ahn Joon Young received drinking entertainment services a total of 47 times, amounting to 46.83 million won (approximately $39,340), paid for by five executives from four entertainment agencies. The services were paid for in exchange for arranging appearances on “Produce 48” and “Produce X 101” and editing favorably.
CJ ENM has reported to have made a profit of 124.65 million won (approximately $104,710) through text message votes from “Produce 48” and “Produce X 101.”
On December 5, the report states that the rankings of all members of IZ*ONE and X1 were rigged. In addition, one member of Wanna One has reportedly made into the final lineup due to ranking manipulation.
According to the written indictment, people including chief producer Kim Yong Bum and producing director Ahn Joon Young are under suspicion of already deciding the lineups of IZ*ONE and X1, regardless of viewer votes. Ahn Joon Young is also under suspicion of manipulating the number of votes of one member of Wanna One so that he would debut.
On July 17 of this year (two days before the “Produce X 101” finale), three people including Kim Yong Bum and Ahn Joon Young met in a CJ ENM meeting room to decide the 11 trainees they wanted to debut and determine their rankings. This was reported to be done because they have seen that in the halfway results of the pre-finale online voting, there were trainees who had already debuted in other idol groups in the Top 11 ranking, so they wanted to exclude them.
The investigation has revealed that the May online votes and on-site votes were manipulated so that one trainee who would have made it in the first round ceremony was actually eliminated, and another trainee was selected instead.
In the third round that determined the Top 20, it’s said that they used the same method to swap two people around.
The IZ*ONE members were also reportedly decided before viewers even voted. Kim Yong Bum and Ahn Joon Young decided on the 12 members and their rankings before the voting in the August 2018 live finale. Whereas for “Produce X 101,” they saw that the pre-finale online votes included the trainees they did not want in the Top 12, and so they determined the lineup while excluding those trainees that were supposed to be in the final lineup.
One member of Wanna One was also reported to be chosen because of the manipulation of the number of votes. Ahn Joon Young switched the rankings of two trainees in the June 2017 live finale of “Produce 101 Season 2.” A trainee who was in the Top 11 did not make the debut lineup, and instead a trainee who was outside of the Top 11 became a member of Wanna One.
In addition, Ahn Joon Young reportedly switched the rankings of two trainees in the May 2017 first round of “Produce 101 Season 2” that decided the Top 60, therefore eliminating a trainee who should have continued in the competition and boosting someone else. He also reportedly did the same thing in the February 2016 first round of “Produce 101,” eliminating two trainees who should have continued and increasing the rankings of two other contestants.
The collusion between the production team and executives at entertainment agencies was also revealed in the investigation. From January 2018 to July 2019, Ahn Joon Young received drinking entertainment services a total of 47 times, amounting to 46.83 million won (approximately $39,340), paid for by five executives from four entertainment agencies. The services were paid for in exchange for arranging appearances on “Produce 48” and “Produce X 101” and editing favorably.
CJ ENM has reported to have made a profit of 124.65 million won (approximately $104,710) through text message votes from “Produce 48” and “Produce X 101.”