'Produce X101' producers arrested over vote-rigging allegation

Producer of a popular K-pop TV audition show, Mnet’s “Produce X 101”, has been arrested over vote-rigging allegation. PHOTO: News1

Producers of 'Produce X 101', a popular K-pop TV audition show, have been arrested over vote-rigging allegation.


On Tuesday, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency arrested the head producer Ahn Joon Young and chief producer Kim Yong Bum on charges of obstruction of business by fraud and the threat of force. Arrest warrants requested for two other staffs were dismissed.

After a questioning session held earlier this day, the Seoul Central District Court approved the arrest warrants for the Ahn and Kim. The judge stated “most of the criminal charges have been explained with evidence and the charges are grave. Considering the suspects' role in the crime and the investigation results up until now, I deem that arrest is both necessary and reasonable.”

The judge also explained why it rejected the arrest warrants for the other staff. "The suspects have admitted guilty to their crimes and the police already collected the evidence. Given the fact that they haven't committed similar crimes before, it is hard to acknowledge the necessity and substantiality of the arrest," he said.

Contestants of "Produce X 101". PHOTO: Mnet

Police have been investigating allegations that these staffs have manipulated the voting results that determined the show’s 11 final winners. Suspicions on the voting results were raised soon after the final episode of the show aired on July. Some of the popular contestant were eliminated, while unexpected less popular candidates were declared winners.


Fans accused the producer of manipulating the voting results, arguing that there are some suspicious numerical patterns in the final vote counts. The vote counts of all 20 candidates were a multiplier of '7494.442'.

11 winners of "Produce X 101" debuted as a boy group 'X1'. PHOTO: News1

Police soon launched a formal investigation, and raided CJ ENM, the headquarters of Mnet, and five entertainment agencies over three times.— July 31, Aug 12, and Oct 24.

On Tuesday morning, police searched the CJ ENM head office once more, and raided one additional agency.

Police seized data on the producer’s bank accounts and mobile phone to check whether they accepted bribes from the contenders' agencies in exchange for the manipulation.

Police are also looking into allegations that “Idol School”, a similar audition show from the same channel, has also been manipulated./ Choi, Dong-Soo, Nam, Soo-Hyun, Chung, Han-Kyul

*The original version of this article has been published on Nov. 5, 2019.