Mnet’s hit dance survival show Street Woman Fighter is going global — literally. It’s back for Season 3 with a new title: World of Street Woman Fighter (World of SWF), and this time, it’s an international showdown.
The press presentation for the show was held earlier today (the 27th) in Gangnam, Seoul. PD Choi Jung-nam, Park Jin-young, Mike Song, Sung Han-bin, and Team BUMSUP dancers like Honey J, Gabee, Leejung, Aiki, and more showed up.
This season brings together crews from five different countries:
- BUMSUP (Korea)
- AG SQUAD (Australia)
- MOTIV (USA)
- OSAKA Ojo Gang and RHTokyo (Japan)
- ROYAL FAMILY (New Zealand)
Sung Han-bin from ZEROBASEONE is the host. Fight judges include Park Jin-young (yep, JYP himself) and Mike Song (Kinjaz co-founder), and there’ll be special guest judges too — like world-famous choreographer Aliya Janell.
The show airs tonight at 10 PM and will also stream on OTT platforms in 38 countries. In Japan, fans can watch it live at the same time as Korea via Abema.
Producer Choi, back at the helm after two years, said, “While doing ‘SWF,’ I thought we could have a season that introduces international dance crews to our fans. I wanted to bring in more international crews to introduce them to fans who love ‘SWF.’”
He also talked about how they picked the teams: “We sought out teams with compelling narratives among those who gained recognition through battles at world competitions or through choreography. For Korea, we recruited those who had the glory of Season 1, as we believed they could showcase their charm once again as a ‘Team Korea’ crew.”
The lineup includes top-tier global talent:
- MOTIV is led by Mali, a veteran of old-school hip-hop in the U.S.
- AG Squad has OG members from top Aussie crews
- Osaka Ojo Gang reps Japan’s hip-hop scene
- RHTokyo is famous for their super-clean and tight choreo
Park Jin-young had a lot to say about his experience judging: “Dancing is something that comes to me instinctively. My first start was as a backup dancer for Kim Gun-mo. I was happy to feel and react solely through dance. It was enjoyable to gather and appreciate so many talented dancers.”
He added, “Judging in English made me feel more comfortable. It was a raw atmosphere, so I forgot it was a broadcast and just evaluated. It was very different from terrestrial auditions.”
Park also said he loved how this show let him just speak his mind without overthinking it: “Before, I had to consider all sorts of things when evaluating singers, but this time, I can just speak what I see and feel.” And since he’s worked with some of the dancers before, he even hinted at wanting to team up again in the future.
On whether this season could kick off another “challenge” trend, he said, “While one might think it’s mainly about battle dance, the program’s nature is very commercial, and dancers with a popular sensibility have a great advantage… There will be many parts that become truly viral.”
He continued, “Western dancers are overwhelmingly strong in power, speed, and teamwork… Eastern teams are incredibly precise and have a commercial sensibility with unique ideas. It was so enjoyable to observe these stark differences.”
Judge Mike Song was just as hyped: “There are also many legendary collaborations. It’s a miracle that so many dance legends gathered in one place.” He called it a big moment for the dance scene: “Normally, you wouldn’t see them battling each other… I think it’s like a festival for dance culture.”
