K-pop boy band CRAVITY poses during a press conference for Mnet's new boy band survival reality, "Road to Kingdom : Ace of Ace," at a hotel in Gangnam District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Mnet

Mnet's boy band survival reality show, "Road to Kingdom," is returning with a more intense sequel, promising an even fiercer competition for the next breakout K-pop act.

This season's contenders — THE NEW SIX, The CrewOne, 8TURN, ONEUS, YOUNITE, CRAVITY and TEMPEST — attended a press conference at a hotel in southern Seoul, Thursday, taking turns sharing their excitement and determination to stand out in the competition.

Launched in 2020, the first season served as a prequel to the larger Mnet competition, "Kingdom: Legendary War" (2021), receiving acclaim for its focus on talented, yet underappreciated acts such as The Boyz, ONF and PENTAGON.

After a four-year hiatus, the new season, "Road to Kingdom: Ace of Ace," is no longer a prequel but stands as its own series. It is dedicated to showcasing boy groups that have debuted but have not yet reached mainstream success.

Project boy band The CrewOne, consisting members of existing K-pop acts ATBO and JUST B, poses during a press conference for Mnet's survival reality, "Road to Kingdom : Ace of Ace," at a hotel in Gangnam District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Mnet

A notable name on the roster is The CrewOne, a newly formed 12-member project group made up of existing K-pop bands ATBO and JUST B. At the press conference, The CrewOne members expressed their hopes for a fresh start through the show.

"We've worked hard to prepare our performance for everyone supporting us and we would be grateful if you watch us with affection," The CrewOne members said.

K-pop boy band THE NEW SIX, participant of Mnet's new survival reality show, "Road to Kingdom : Ace to Ace," poses during a press conference at a hotel in Gangnam District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Mnet

ONEUS, the most seasoned group among the contestants that debuted in 2019, is returning for its second appearance after competing in the first season of "Road to Kingdom."

"We were both anxious and excited to come back, but the strong support from our fans has motivated us to start off well. We're filming with great energy alongside the other contestants and we hope you'll see our passion on stage. Please tune in," the members said.

K-pop act ONEUS poses during a press conference for Mnet's "Road to Kingdom" sequel, "Road to Kingdom : Ace of Ace" at a hotel in Seoul's Gangnam District, Thursday. Courtesy of Mnet

Also taking part in the event were the program's chief producer Choi Hyo-jin, producer Jo Woo-ri and SHINee member Taemin, who is set to serve as the show's emcee.

The producers detailed the show's vision, emphasizing its focus on assisting passionate boy bands reach their dreams.

"While planning, we did extensive research on the K-pop scene and its artists. Upon the process, we discovered that many more groups debut each year than we had initially thought and there are so many teams struggling for recognition, far more than we realized," producer Choi noted.

"So our intentions behind creating, and rebranding 'Road to Kingdom,' was for it to become a platform to introduce these artists to the world."

K-pop boy band YOUNITE poses during a press conference for Mnet's new boy band survival reality, "Road to Kingdom : Ace of Ace," at a hotel in Gangnam District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Mnet

While the new season will maintain its focus on evaluating team performances, it will also introduce a new segment to spotlight individual talents — a competition format that sheds light on each group's standout "ace."

"The K-pop landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. Despite many idols possessing a variety of talents and skills, they've had few opportunities to gain the spotlight. To address this, we've kept the team performance competition, the core of the show, but also introduced an individual competition for each team's ace member. We've worked hard to highlight why these groups deserve more recognition," producer Jo explained.

TEMPEST, a K-pop act under Yuehua Entertainment, poses during a press conference for Mnet's "Road to Kingdom" sequel, "Road to Kingdom : Ace of Ace" at a hotel in Gangnam District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Mnet

Through "Road to Kingdom: Ace of Ace," Taemin is set to take on his first-ever solo hosting role in his 17-year idol career.

"This is my debut as a (solo) emcee ... I was worried I might cause problems during filming. In previous short emcee roles I've handled, I've always made subtle mistakes," Taemin shared on a humble note.

"If I were to grade myself, I'd give my skills as a host in the first episode a 10 out of 100 and the second a 30. You'll see me improve little by little."

"Road to Kingdom: Ace of Ace" airs every Thursday at 9:30 p.m.

K-pop boy band 8TURN poses during a press conference for Mnet's new boy band survival reality, "Road to Kingdom : Ace of Ace," at a hotel in Gangnam District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Mnet