'Street Woman Fighter' has returned with an unprecedented scale and added dopamine, reaching world-class status.

At the production presentation for Mnet's 'World of Street Woman Fighter' (directed by Kwon Young-chan and Choi Jeong-nam, hereinafter referred to as 'WSWF'), held at the SJ Kunsthalle in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 27th, the production team and MC Sung Hanbin, fight judge Park Jin-Young, Mike Song, and the 9 members of Team Korea BUMSUP (Gabee, NO:ZE, Leejung, Ri.hey, LIP J, Monika, AIKI, Honey J, Hyojin Choi) all attended.

'World of Street Woman Fighter' is the third season of Mnet's mega hit 'Street Woman Fighter,' featuring a competition among five countries, including South Korea, New Zealand, the United States, Japan, and Australia.

A total of six crews will appear, including AG SQUAD, BUMSUP, MOTIV, OSAKA Ojo Gang, RHTokyo, and ROYAL FAMILY, consisting of elite members representing their countries, creating anticipation for a true world-class dance crew showdown.

After the photo time, Honey J introduced herself by saying, “We are the leaders who played a role in ‘Suwpa Season 1,’ and we are the Avengers BUMSUP, like superheroes,” and showcased choreography on the spot to express her enthusiasm for the program.

During an interview with the production team and MCs and judges, director Choi Jeong-nam explained the reason for planning the 'World of WSWF' as an international competition, stating, “After starting ‘Suwpa,’ we had overseas dance crews participating for the first time in Season 2, which made us realize we could create a series to promote more overseas dance crews in Korea. Therefore, we wanted to invite even more foreign crews than in Season 2.”

So how did they recruit overseas crews and maintain communication? Director Choi said, “During filming, many interpreters helped us, and what feels like a global project now is that we are in post-production, trying to present the footage to viewers through extensive editing, so many translators have joined us.”

Director Choi Jeong-nam noted, “With the presence of Korean, English, and Japanese, translation is taking a lot of time. We have three times as many translators working on it. Even if there are some immature parts, I hope you will look forward to the dancers' body language.”

Additionally, judge Park Jin-Young, when asked if he had watched all previous seasons of the ‘Suwpa’ series, said, “I have seen a lot of it through broadcasts and clips. After my participation was decided, I watched them all again.”

Park Jin-Young shared his thoughts on judging 'WSWF,' stating, “I do many things in the entertainment world, but it seems that dance approaches me instinctively. My first step was as a backup dancer for Kim Gun-mo,” adding, “Dance is an instinctual part, and it was happiness that I could feel and react only to dance, setting aside everything else like singing and guitar. It was also fun to gather all the great dancers from around the world to enjoy it together. The atmosphere was so raw that I also lost myself in the broadcast.”

He also mentioned his judging criteria for the program, saying, “I tried to avoid thinking too much. In past cases of judging singers, this was often related to the company. I thought of various things, but here it’s important just to speak as I feel and respond instinctively. Since I work as a producer in the field, there are many people in ‘WSWF’ whom I have hired and paid. There are points I see when assigning my next project.”

Mike Song, 'the dancers' dancer,' will also participate as a judge this season. He described the global crews in one word as 'legendary,' saying, 'I knew this season would be truly legendary, with many legendary collaborations and battles. It feels miraculous to have so many legendary dancers come together in one place.'

So what are the criteria for recruiting these global crews? Director Choi Jeong-nam explained, “We didn’t approach recruiting global crews with a point of which country must come. We wanted to introduce crews with a certain level of skill, who have relationships through battles, and who are in a position to make a name for themselves in their careers, so they could depict narratives in the program.” He added that the combination of leaders into one crew to appear in 'WSWF' was due to their performance capabilities and presence.

The MC will be Sung Hanbin, a member of ZEROBASEONE. Notably, he debuted with the group through Mnet's 'Boys Planet.' As someone from a survival show, his feelings about taking on the role of dance survival MC will be unique.

Sung Hanbin expressed his thoughts on becoming the MC, saying, “I feel honored to go from being a loyal viewer of a program I enjoyed so much to being its sole MC. As it expands to a world-class level, it's a place where I will learn and feel a lot.” He mentioned, “I want to hear the phrase ‘all-around MC,’ and I want to grow into an MC that showcases diverse charms.”

He continued, “As someone from a survival background, I think the instinctual feeling and improvisation unique to survival are important, so I prepared those aspects intensively.” In regard to the main theme song 'Champion' he participated in, he remarked, “I got to be part of the main track, which captures the natural and instinctive feel of 'WSWF,' so it will be interesting to watch it alongside the broadcast.”

Park Jin-Young praised the crews' skills while analyzing their characteristics, saying, “I was so excited watching each stage during judging. The reason for my excitement is that they are very good. The three Eastern teams and three Western teams are clearly divided. Two Japanese teams and one Korean team represent the East, while the team from the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand represent the West, and there’s such a difference.” He added, “The Western teams are overwhelming in strength, speed, and organization. If comparing to soccer, it feels like German soccer. The Eastern teams are very precise and commercial, with great ideas, sophistication, and fundamentals. Looking at such distinct characteristics, it’s clear how advantageous each side can be depending on the mission. I had the desire to be on stage every time.”

Interviews with the production team, judges, and MC were followed by interviews with the leaders of BUMSUP. Starting with leader Honey J, followed by Monika, LIP J, AIKI, Gabee, and Hyojin Choi, NO:ZE, Leejung, and Ri.hey introduced themselves.

With four years passing since the airing of 'Street Woman Fighter' in 2021, the changes among the members also attracted attention, especially the leaders who became mothers through childbirth. Monika opened up, saying, “I gave birth 50 days ago. After childbirth, while considering postpartum recovery, I think I will become a dancer who recovers through dance.”

Honey J also shared, “It has been 25 months since Love was born. She can speak well and is growing nicely. Since we are doing this as national representatives, there is pressure and a sense of responsibility. There are definitely challenging aspects, but I wanted to hide it as much as possible. I have tried hard in my own way, and becoming a mother has made me even more eager. Although I was eager for Season 1 and did my best, this time I am working with 2 to 3 times more eagerness and sense of responsibility.”

Moreover, Honey J remarked, “Each member of the team has distinct roles. The chemistry is really good. As you saw in Season 1, everyone dances quite differently, but it fits well in certain areas. We are getting to know each other's dance while working hard, and I feel really supported.”

When asked about which crew members were the most challenging, Gabee replied, “Since dance is subjective, opinions may vary among viewers. I learned a lot. From some teams, I learned about teamwork, and from others, I gained a lot of energy. There wasn’t a specific team I felt challenged by; we were too busy sticking together and working hard.” She added, “During filming, it was impressive and great. Once I got home, one person kept coming to mind, Kaea from AG SQUAD. I don’t know why, but she remained memorable.”

'The leader of leaders' is Honey J. When asked if it was a preferential condition for the winning team of Season 1, Honey J joked, “I don't know if it was a preferential condition or an age preference. We also don’t know. Since they suggested me first as a great leader, and Monika was pregnant and might not be able to present, when I was mentioned, I couldn’t say no. Everyone seemed to be agreeable, and that’s how I became the selected leader.”

Due to childbirth, Monika could not participate in this season’s dance battles. Instead, LIP J joined BUMSUP as the 9th member. When asked if she felt any regrets, Monika shared, “At first, I felt a lot of regret about not being able to participate in the battles. I had a strong desire to go out and do something, but as the competition progressed, I felt relieved that I was not in it. I thought, 'I couldn't have survived in this chaos.' It was such a tough experience that my sense of regret transformed into gratitude.”

Nevertheless, Monika added, “In the situation where we have to come together and dance again, I’ve started exercising again since yesterday. I called LIP J to start jogging early in the morning.”

Finally, Honey J stated, “I believe this program will capture our leaders' adventures, adversities, and how we overcome challenges, and how we become a unified team. It seems to contain life beyond just dance. Although it’s not solely about dance, I believe there will be many relatable stories. I hope you enjoy watching it, and we are working really hard, so I hope you’ll watch us closely.”

On another note, 'World of WSWF,' expanded as an international competition, has confirmed its release through various global OTT platforms in 38 countries and regions. This season will be aired in South Korea, the United States, Canada, Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar), the Middle East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Maldives, etc., and will be broadcasted on local platforms like Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, Viu, iQIYI, FPT Play, and tvN ASIA after domestic broadcasting. In Japan, it will be simultaneously broadcasted with South Korea through the local OTT platform ABEMA.

'World of WSWF' will premiere tonight (27th) at 10 p.m.

[Photo] Lee Dae-sun, reporter, broadcasting poster

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