Controversy Arises as Lee Hyeop Eliminated from 'Boys Planet K' Despite Strong Vocal Performance

The elimination of Lee Hyeop, the main vocalist of the group DRIPPIN under Woollim Entertainment, from Mnet's 'Boys Planet K' has sparked confusion among some viewers.

In the second episode of 'Boys Planet K' aired on the 24th, contestants participated in the signal song test for the second rank determination round. Lee Hyeop showcased his impressive vocal skills with stable high notes, befitting his role as the main vocalist. However, his dance skills were deemed lacking, leading the masters to give him a 'rank pending' judgment.

The final rank for the signal song test was determined by combining 70% of the master evaluation score and 30% of the Star Creator individual stage evaluation score. The Star Creator evaluation was conducted from June 13 at 6 PM to June 15 at 10 AM, with scores calculated by multiplying the combined views and likes of individual stage videos uploaded on the official YouTube and Mnet Plus community by 100. Out of 69 participants, 52 survived the second rank determination round, with 17 being eliminated.

The final eliminations based on real-time voting included Lee Hyeop (13th), Lee Wonwoo (26th), Heo Jio (30th), Taichi (33rd), Tomoya (35th), Kenshiro (41st), Lee Yunchan (42nd), Ryan (43rd), Chris (48th), Hwang Sunwoo (53rd), Shoya (55th), Justin (56th), Pan (57th), Shin Jaeha (58th), Choi Junseok (61st), Kim Hyunbin (68th), and Park Junseong (69th). Many viewers expressed confusion over Lee Hyeop's elimination, especially since he ranked 13th in real-time voting. In an interview with the production team, Lee Hyeop shared, "I thought I would be sad whether I passed or not. As someone with the same experience, I understand the desperation better. I thought this was my last chance to make a big challenge as an idol."

Despite the criticism of Lee Hyeop's dance skills, no critical mistakes were shown in the broadcast, and several trainees with weaker vocal skills passed due to their dance abilities. Some viewers criticized the decision, stating, "It's not a dancer audition, so giving a 'no star' for lacking dance skills is unfair." The controversy grew as the reasons for elimination were not sufficiently disclosed in the broadcast.

Lee Hyeop, who appeared on Mnet's 'Produce X 101' in 2019 and ranked 24th, officially debuted with DRIPPIN in October 2020. Despite showcasing stable vocals and decent dance skills in the 'Boys Planet K' signal song test, he received harsh criticism from the masters, resulting in his rank dropping from 2 stars to 1 star.

Previously, as an individual trainee during 'Produce,' Lee Hyeop was in the 50th rank but steadily climbed to the 20th rank, eventually signing with Woollim Entertainment and debuting. In this program, he was eliminated with a 'no star' result after the final score aggregation. Upon hearing the news of Lee Hyeop's elimination, DRIPPIN member Kim Dongyun was seen sitting down in tears.