Mnet's boy group survival program "Boys Planet" has recently announced its Top 18 finalists, but the broadcast network faces accusations of favoring one trainee, Seok Matthew, over the others.

On April 14, the 18 finalists for "Boys Planet" were revealed in Episode 11. The show originally featured 28 trainees vying for the top spots during the third elimination announcement. Those who make it to the Top 18 will progress to the final round, where the final nine will be chosen to join Mnet's new boy group.

The Top 18 trainees are (in order): Sung Han Bin, Zhang Hao, Kim Ji Woong, Kim Tae Rae, Han Yu Jin, Keita, Kim Gyu Vin, Ricky, Seok Matthew, Lee Hoe Taek, Park Han Bin, Park Gun Wook, Jay, Yoo Seung Eon, Yoon Jong Woo, Kum Jun-Hyeon, Lee Jeong Hyeon, and Na Kamden.

Following the announcement, fans and supporters of the trainees expressed their relief and joy for those who made it to the next round. However, not all were pleased, as accusations arose that Mnet showed favoritism towards Seok Matthew, to the detriment of other trainees, particularly Zhang Hao.

Online community members argue that Mnet frequently alters its rules unexpectedly when Seok Matthew is involved. One point of contention is the seating arrangement change in the third elimination round. A comparison of the original seating plan and the updated one reveals a swap between the second and third-place seats and the eighth and ninth-place seats, which some believe was done to benefit Seok Matthew, who ranked ninth.

Another instance cited is when the trainees gathered with Sunmi, Seok was given a front seat next to the female planet master, allegedly taking the spotlight away from Zhang Hao.

In addition, viewers mentioned that Mnet had unexpectedly decided to call four trainees as candidates for the first place during the second elimination, rather than the usual three, with Seok announced as the fourth place.

Instead of directing their anger at the trainee, viewers expressed their disappointment in Mnet and their sympathy for Seok Matthew, who they feel has been negatively impacted by these decisions.

The final debut group for "Boys Planet" will be announced on April 20 in the program's finale. The live event, taking place at the Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium in Seoul, is expected to draw more than 7,000 spectators to witness the final stage of the 18 participants.

To prevent voting manipulation during the final lineup announcement, Mnet stated that it will undergo verification by external professional organization Samil PwC, ensuring the production team does not manipulate the vote counting and result calculation process for "Boys Planet."

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