In a series of teasers, Mnet shed some light on their upcoming audition show Girls Planet 999. Those new teasers highlighted the role actor Yeo Jin Goo is to play on the show alongside former girl group members Sunmi (Wonder Girls) and Tiffany (Girls’ Generation), both of whom are billed as “K-Pop Masters.”

Girls Planet 999 will focus on 99 female trainees from China, Japan, and Korea who will go up against each other to bag one of nine available spots in a new global girl group. Despite its competition aspect, and despite the fact that the trainees all come from different backgrounds and cultures, the show will emphasize the things they do have in common—their shared dream of debuting in the K-pop industry and passion for performing.

That’s exactly what the show has done for Sunmi and Tiffany. They both debuted in 2007, and their groups were often pitted against each other. Now, they’re really excited about being able to unite in order to help the next generation of K-pop stars come into their own.

The show will begin in August and end in October. “It may seem like quite a long journey, but I want to remind all the trainees that each and every step they take along the way is their own,” says Tiffany.

She and Sunmi admitted that they’re not looking forward to being strict. In fact, they said they’ll probably cry behind the scenes and made a pact not to do so in front of the contestants. However, Sunmi says she knows she’ll have to be strict for the contestants’ own good.

“What I’m good at is comforting others and relating to them. But I have to be stern in this short period of time to be of help in the long run. I’m looking forward to working with Tiffany because we have very different dispositions. Our chemistry and synergy will surely be interesting. It’s a bit embarrassing for me to say so myself, but we’re two of the pillars of the second generation of idols. With that in mind, I think this is a really monumental occasion.”

When asked what kind of K-Pop Master she wants to be, Sunmi said, “It’s an honor to be able to help and watch over the contestants. I want to be a sunbae who gives realistic advice as someone who has walked this path before, but I also want to be that comfortable unnie they can depend on if and when things get hard.”

For her part, Tiffany offered, “I think that a K-Pop Master should be a mentor and partner who can be cool, critical, and stern if need be. I also want to help the contestants with their mental attitude. I’d like to be a master who’s like ‘sunlight’ to them. Sunlight can be warm. It can make a person stronger, but it can also sting at times.”

Meanwhile, Yeo Jin Goo will be known to the 99 contestants as the show’s “Planet Master.”

“As the story of the 99 Chinese, Japanese, and Korean trainees unfolds, I’ll take on the role of the Planet Master. I’ll be their connection or their stepping stone to reach the viewers, known as the Planet Guardians, who will protect and support their dreams,” he explains.

As an actor, he knows what it’s like to chase a dream even if it’s difficult to do so. He’ll use his experience to cheer on the trainees as they chase their own dreams.

“I went on countless auditions when I was younger, and I didn’t pass most of them. I sometimes got hurt and worried about things that turned out to be insignificant. I think actors and K-pop idols have it rough, because they’re the kind of people who have to be evaluated by the public. As the Planet Master, I’ll stay by these girls’ sides as much as I can, and I’ll also cheer for them, especially when they face difficult times. I do hope that will comfort them at least a little bit,” he says.

Yeo Jin Goo is happy about getting to work with Sunmi and Tiffany, who he refers to as “the forerunners of K-pop.”

“My friends are fans of theirs, and so am I. I’m delighted to be going on this long journey with them. I feel a great sense of responsibility coming from them, so I think I should show them a positive side of myself also.”

Watch out for Girls Planet 999’s contestant reveal tomorrow, July 8. A video of the trainees’ first performance of the show’s theme song is also set to drop as their faces and names are unveiled for the first time.