16 participants of "The Debut: Dream Academy" pose during the fan meet and greet event "Break Time" at Ilchi Art Hall, Gangnam District, Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of HYBE

Contestants from the global audition program "The Debut: Dream Academy" connected with fans around the world at Ilchi Art Hall, Gangnam District Seoul, Wednesday.

Sixteen dedicated contestants, hailing from various countries including Korea, the United States, Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Brazil, Japan, the Philippines, Sweden, Switzerland and Thailand, united around the shared aspiration of becoming K-pop idols during the fan meet and greet event.

Two 15-year-old contestants, Ua and Yoonchae, were unable to attend the event according to California's labor law on minors.

The event garnered participation from fans in over 150 countries, both online and offline, underscoring its global significance.

The fan meeting kicked off with participants performing songs by Le Sserafim, including "Fearless" and "Antifragile." The performances were met with enthusiastic applause, despite being the contestants' first time performing in front of an audience.

Contestants of "The Debut: Dream Academy" perform Le Sserafim's songs, "Fearless" and "Antifragile," onstage during the fan event at Ilchi Art Hall, Gangnam District, Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of HYBE

Following the performances, the contestants shared personal stories and journeys into the world of K-pop with fans. Megan from the U.S. revealed her K-pop journey, saying, "The first K-pop choreography I ever learned was 'Run' by BTS, as it was my favorite K-pop song."

Lexie from Sweden, who possesses songwriting skills, said, "I draw inspiration from senior artists like TWICE, Stray Kids and NewJeans when it comes to composition."

Mei from Japan emphasized her lifelong passion for K-pop. "I've been a K-pop enthusiast since my childhood. I enjoy listening to K-pop, watching K-pop performances, singing and dancing to K-pop melodies," Mei said.

Ezrela, an Indian-Australian, said, "I've been captivated by Indian culture from a young age, including Bollywood movies ... When I make my debut, I aspire to incorporate the distinctive sounds of Indian music into K-pop."

16 participants of "The Debut: Dream Academy" pose during the fan meet and greet event, "Break Time," at Ilchi Art Hall, Gangnam District, Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of HYBE

Before the event, fans sent letters of support, expressing messages of encouragement such as "I will cheer for you, regardless of the outcome" and "I eagerly anticipate the participants' futures." Some contestants were visibly moved and teary-eyed while reading these messages.

The hour-long fan event wrapped up with participants exchanging heart-shaped hand signs with fans, reluctant to leave the stage.

Meanwhile, the contestants, chosen from a pool of 120,000 applicants, have been training for a year at HYBE's American branch and Geffen Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. This collaboration between the two entities began in 2021 when they established the joint venture, HYBE x Geffen Records (HxG), to launch "The Debut" project.

The currently surviving 18 participants now await the results of the second mission of the talent show, to be announced on Oct.9, before returning to the U.S. to prepare for the third mission. The ultimate decision regarding their debut will be made during the "Live Final Show" scheduled for Nov. 18.