Korean Netizens Have Mixed Reactions To "Queendom Puzzle" Contestants

Mnet recently confirmed six contestants who will appear on their newest upcoming survival show Queendom Puzzle. In a media statement sent to several media outlets, the television network revealed the idols who will be competing but also cleared up rumors about those who will not participate.

Mnet’s Queendom Puzzle presents a new take on the Queendom series by making past and present female group members compete against each other in a bid to join a global project girl group. Following the success of her first experience as a Queendom host, Girls’ Generation‘s Taeyeon has been announced as the show’s host.

Lee Chaeyeon, [former CLC member] Yeeun, [LABOUM’s] Haein, [former MOMOLAND member] JooE, [former Lovelyz member] Kei, and [former NMB48 member] Shiroma Miru are confirmed to appear on Queendom Puzzle.

— Mnet

[#퀸덤퍼즐] MC 소개 | #태연

전 세계적으로 사랑받는 K-POP 워너비 아티스트!
<퀸덤퍼즐> MC 태연을 소개합니다 💌

걸그룹 최상의 조합을 완성하라! Mnet 〈퀸덤퍼즐〉
2023 COMING SOON #퀸덤퍼즐 #QUEENDOMPUZZLE #퀸덤 #Mnet #엠넷 pic.twitter.com/QnYPtH0hT6

— Mnet (@MnetKR) April 24, 2023

The network also clarified that Yabuki Nako and Honda Hitomi, both former IZ*ONE members who were rumored to be joining the show, will not participate in the competition.

In a later update, Mnet also shared that some members of the girl group Weeekly will join the survival show but didn’t specify which.

Weeekly will appear on the show. However, it will not be all of the members, but some of the members. We will reveal which members are appearing on the show in May.

— Mnet

According to Korean media outlets, H1-KEY members Riina and Hwiseo are also reportedly joining the competition as contestants. However, Mnet has not confirmed their participation yet.

The recent confirmation took the internet by storm, as Queendom is a widely loved competition by K-Pop fans. However, the contestants have received mixed reactions from Korean netizens. In particular, the choice made by H1-KEY and Weeekly’s companies, Grandline Group and IST Entertainment, respectively, has left many confused.

Since both groups are quite new to the scene, netizens wonder if this is a smart choice on the label’s part — with many saying it would be better for the groups to focus on expanding their fandoms and having comebacks.

In H1-KEY’s case, some netizens argued it may be difficult for smaller agencies, like Grandline Group, to reject a big network like Mnet.

“Huh?”
“I think it would be difficult for smaller agencies to reject [Mnet] if they are contacted by them.”
“Wait, here too?…”
“If they don’t appear, then they can’t appear on M Countdown, so what can they do?”
“I feel so bad for H1-KEY at a time when they should be focusing on expanding their fandom, ㅜㅜ.”
“If you guys are asking ‘Why?’ to every contestant, then who should come on? Didn’t you guys expect as much when they first announced the program? It’s unthinkable for Mnet to shoot the show with people no one knows.”
“????….ㅠㅠㅠㅠ wow.”

While the majority were disappointed that participation in Queendom Puzzle might mean Weeekly won’t have another comeback anytime soon, one netizen argued that appearing in this program is better than nothing.

“I only know the artists I listen to. I know Weekly’s “Afterschool,” and didn’t they have another song? What are they doing?”
“Are they crazy?”
“I thought I didn’t see them for a while, but this….ㅠㅠ.”
“Are they breaking up the group then? They should have just gone on a girl program.”
“Will the members who can’t debut on this show not appear while the members who do debut promote?”
“Although I understand the sentiment of the commenters here, it’s hard for me to criticize… Rather than being mid, isn’t it better to come on this show? Will the people who are asking the idols why they are appearing stan them? No, they won’t.”