All-Filipino K-pop boy band HORI7ON poses for a picture during its debut media showcase held at the Olympic Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on Monday. (MLD Entertainment)
Soon after HORI7ON was launched in South Korea where they trained to be a global pop group, the seven-piece ensemble is set to make its relaunch in the Philippines after completing its rigorous training as K-pop’s first all-Filipino boy band.
Former Ilocos Sur governor Chavit Singson revealed that the group composed of Kim, Vinci, Marcus, Jeromy, Kyler, Reyster, and Winston will soon be back in the country later this year following their successful training in Seoul.
Singson’s LCS Group of Companies have an entertainment company which helps Pinoy talents in Korea.
“Magagaling siguro, kasi nakita ko sila last month na nandoon ako. Itong year na ito dadalhin na sila sa Pilipinas at ibang countries. Bakit ang bilis, kako. Magagaling sila, sabi sa akin,” he said during a chat with reporters recently.
(Maybe they are really good, because I saw them last month when I was there. This year, it will be brought to the Philippines and different countries. Why [was their training] so fast, I asked. It’s because they were that good, I was told).
Singson pointed out that that the training process for performers in Korea is thorough and extensive such that it usually take the artists quite a long period before they are launched in the entertainment s and very long before performers are fielded in the entertainment scene.
“May anim na nandoon na puro mga Filipino. Ang gagaling. Koreano na nga, eh. Ang pag-training ng mga dancers sa Korea, matagal. Training nila five years, ten years pero gumagastos ang mga company na iyon. Twelve hours a day. Ganoon kahirap. Pagpipilian sila libo, ang natira anim lang,” he further said.
(There were about six there who are pure Filipinos. They were good. They looked Koreans already. The training of dancers in Korea is long. They train for five years, ten years, but the company pays for it. They train for twelve hours a day. That’s how hard it is. They choose six out of over thousands.)
HORI7ON made its debut under MLD Entertainment which auditioned on “Dream Maker,” a joint program with ABS-CBN, before going through 100 days of “K-training,” a rigorous pre-debut process every K-pop idol has to go through.
The septet is set to return to the country for promotional activities before returning to Korea. EDV