Faces Revealed: 21 Trainees To Participate In Starship Entertainment’s Survival Show To Make “NewKids”

Will you be watching?

Amid some backlash, Starship Entertainment is moving forward with its search for the next K-Pop idols—a boy group dubbed NewKids for now.

Starship Entertainment Teases New Group’s Debut — Gets Hit With Backlash

On March 8, 2025 (KST), NewKids’ Instagram was updated with the “profiles” of the 21 trainees who will be participating in Debut’s Plan, a survival program set to premiere on March 14.

The updates offered a series of pictures and no other details—other than what was previously revealed with the handwritten names and “illustrations” of the trainees.

Still, K-Pop fans at large couldn’t help but show interest—given this is Starship Entertainment’s second-ever survival program, first in over a decade since the 2014 No Mercy that birthed MONSTA X.

The pictures, as did the illustrations, are garnering mixed reactions…

| theqoo

• “Wow. Starship has a solid pool of trainees for sure.”
• “They all remind me of someone.”
• “Oh, they’re all good-looking.”
• “Why did Starship even bother with the illustrations?”
• “The pictures are pissing me off, though. LOL. So blurry. Damn Gen Z sh*t.”

| theqoo

•  “Huh… They all look good. WTH.”
• “I mean… All of them have really strong features. I guess that’s what Starship likes in their boy group members.”
• “They’re all good-looking, TBH. Like, CRAVITY also had some really handsome members.”
• “Sure, they’re good-looking and all… but I can’t stop looking at their noses.”
• “Reminds me of NCT Wish, kind of.”

…though, all in all, K-Pop fans are hoping for a good show to watch and a solid group to come out of it in the end.

| theqoo

• “Handsome boys!”
• “They’re cute.”
• “I can’t believe these trainees already have trolls hating on them.”
• “Wow. Starship Entertainment really knows how to pick their trainees.”
• “Their identical noses, though. LOL. I guess the illustration nonsense was because Starship knew none of these faces are stand out unique. I’m not hating. Just because I’m not worshipping Starship doesn’t make me a hater.”

Earlier, a “Highlight Medley,” uploaded to NewKids’ YouTube channel, also revealed the voices of the trainees, building anticipation.

Listen to it here: