JYP to Hold Final Open Auditions for Its 20-Year-Old Recruitment Program... Starting in Gwangju in January

JYP Entertainment will conduct the auditions for the 20th batch of its open recruitment program in 2026. As these auditions, which have served as pioneers in discovering new talent for nearly 20 years, will come to an end after this 20th batch, exceptionally high levels of interest and participation are expected. JYP plans to select the next generation of leaders who will shape K-pop’s future through this renowned audition program, which has already produced numerous global artists such as 2PM’s Jang Woo-young, TWICE’s Nayeon and Jeongyeon, Stray Kids’ Seungmin, NiziU’s Mako, Xdinary Heroes’ Jungsu, and KickFlip’s Gye-hun. The auditions for the 20th batch will begin on January 17, 2026, at the Ssangchon Youth Culture Center in Gwangju. They will then take place on January 18 at the DCC Daejeon Convention Center in Daejeon, on January 24 at the Suyoung-gu Youth Culture Center in Busan, and on January 25 at the Kkomjirak Power Plant Youth Culture Center in Daegu. The Seoul auditions will conclude the nationwide tour from January 31 to February 1 at the Jung-gu Youth Center in Seoul. Those who pass the final selection will be given the opportunity to become JYP trainees. Applications, which opened on December 1, can be submitted via JYP’s official audition website (audition.jype.com) until 23:59 the day before each regional audition. Anyone born after 2008 and before 2016 is eligible to apply, and candidates must choose one area among vocal, rap, dance, modeling, and acting in which they are most confident. After completing these auditions for the 20th batch, JYP plans to continue selecting K-pop talent through various other audition formats, including global auditions.