21 Contestants Advance to the Finals of Universe League

In the latest episodes of SBS's global boy group audition program, Universe League, aired on January 17 and 18, a total of 15 contestants were eliminated, confirming that 21 participants will move on to the finals.

The eighth episode showcased the performances of the second unit following the first unit's stage in the third round of the league. Team Groove performed 'Butterfly', Team Beat presented 'ON&ON', and Team Rhythm prepared 'Don't Hit The Brakes'.

Team Groove revamped their lineup for 'Butterfly', replacing Kim Juhyung, who struggled with high notes, with Seo Jeongwoo, who had previously been eliminated in 'I Am You'. Despite the challenges, Team Groove's performance received positive feedback.

Team Beat maintained their seven main members from the first unit, receiving special lessons from Punch Nello at their agency's practice room and vocal advice from the vocal director of Venders Production, founded by El Capitan. Thanks to the directors' efforts, Team Beat delivered an almost flawless performance of 'ON&ON'.

Similar to Team Groove, Team Beat also restructured their elite lineup. Notably, Kim Dongyoon, who was excluded from the first unit, faced elimination again in the second unit, losing another chance to perform. Instead, the directors selected strong performers for the elite lineup, a strategy that proved successful. Team Rhythm's stage also garnered enthusiastic applause.

As the third round progressed, the scores and rankings from the live voting were revealed. Team Groove, who had topped the first two rounds, scored 3,362 points, securing first place in the live voting once again. Team Beat recorded 3,204 points, avoiding last place for the first time, while Team Rhythm ranked third with 3,036 points, shocking the contestants.

However, a twist occurred when the final scores, including online votes, were tallied. Team Rhythm dominated the online voting with 59,898 points, claiming the top spot in the third round. Consequently, Team Groove took second place, and Team Beat faced the embarrassment of finishing last for the third consecutive time.

With the announcement of individual rankings, eliminations followed. Team Beat received six yellow cards, leading to the elimination of Jin Ziming, Li Ziwei, and Kim Hyotaek, who already had yellow cards. Additionally, in the final trade of the league, Kim Dongyoon and Hiroto from Team Rhythm were released, while Seo Jeongwoo and Park Juwon from Team Groove joined Team Rhythm. Kim Daeyun moved from Team Groove to Team Beat, and An Yul from Team Beat to Team Groove, resulting in emotional farewells among the contestants.

The eliminations did not stop there. In the ninth episode, as the finalists were determined, an additional 13 contestants left Universe League. The criteria for receiving a direct ticket to the finals included 'fan selection' and 'director selection'. A total of 21 contestants, including the top fan-voted players and those chosen by the directors, will take the stage in the finals.

From the top-ranked Team Rhythm, five players advanced to the finals based on fan votes: JL, Steven, Zhang Shuai Bo, Zeun, and Park Juwon. Notably, JL garnered over one million votes, ranking first overall and surprising everyone. From the second-ranked Team Groove, Park Han, Kim Juhyung, and Kenta were selected, while Team Beat's sole representative chosen by fans was Cha Woong Ki.

The remaining spots were filled by two from Team Rhythm, four from Team Groove, and six from Team Beat, with the directors making their selections regardless of team affiliation. Team Rhythm's directors, NCT and WayV's Ten and Yangyang, chose Daisuke and Seo Jeongwoo for the finals. Team Groove's director Lee Changseob selected Jang Kyungho, Koo Hanseo, Kwon Heejun, and Kim Gijung.

With 19 contestants remaining, Team Beat's directors, Yugyeom and El Capitan, faced the challenge of filling the last six spots. Their choices included Kairi, Geum Jin Ho, Yuito, Shirin, Zenzen, and Kim Dongyoon. Geum Jin Ho and Yuito, who ranked 22nd and 30th respectively, were outside the top 21 based on team votes but earned a chance to advance due to the directors' selections. Additionally, Shirin, Zenzen, and Kim Dongyoon, who were not originally from Team Beat, will compete as members of Team Beat in the finals.

Thus, the final lineups for each team have been established. Team Rhythm will feature JL, Steven, Zhang Shuai Bo, Zeun, Park Juwon, Daisuke, and Seo Jeongwoo; Team Groove will include Park Han, Kim Juhyung, Kenta, Jang Kyungho, Koo Hanseo, Kwon Heejun, and Kim Gijung; and Team Beat will consist of Cha Woong Ki, Kairi, Geum Jin Ho, Yuito, Shirin, Zenzen, and Kim Dongyoon. The remaining 13 contestants in the locker room faced their final eliminations with tears.

Meanwhile, Universe League is a global boy group audition program co-produced by SBS and F&F Entertainment. The finale of Universe League will be broadcast live on January 24 at 11:20 PM.