HYBE and Geffen Records have opened a second global audition to form a new girl group.

The audition program World Scout: The Final Piece will premiere on February 24 at 8 p.m. JST on Japan's OTT platform ABEMA.

The series follows the final journey to select one last member for a four-member girl group poised for the global stage. More than 14,000 applicants competed for the single spot.

The final winner will join Emily Kelavos, Lexie Levin, and Samara Siqueira, who previously gained attention through The Debut: Dream Academy, the program that launched KATSEYE. The group is targeting a debut within the year.

The studio panel features Sakura and Kazuha of Le Sserafim, Iroha and Moka of ILLIT, as well as producer and actress Rino Sashihara of AKB48. They will observe contestants' growth and key decisions throughout the competition.

Son Sung-deuk, HxG's chief creative officer, will serve as a judge. Widely known as BTS's choreographer, he previously oversaw planning, music, visuals, and direction for The Debut: Dream Academy.

HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk continues to leverage the company's infrastructure to identify and develop high-potential talent into fully realized artists, a model that global industry observers say is expanding the K-pop playbook.

KATSEYE has already validated that approach. Less than a year after debut, the group charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200, the UK Official Singles Top 100, and Spotify's global rankings. They were also simultaneously nominated for Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 68th Grammy Awards.