American Idol's Archuleta brings pleasant surprise at Korean hunt for pop stars in HK

It takes the promise of South Korean stardom to bring all the would-be teen idols out of the woodwork in Hong Kong, it would seem. Joining forces with a production team from the country, tvN held auditions for the next K-Pop Star Hunt at the Star TV studios at the weekend, and the response was overwhelming.

More than 1,000 applications flooded in, and over the two-day audition process, 100 semi-finalists were whittled down to 10 finalists and then two lucky winners - 16-year-old Yeung Tung and 17-year-old Andy Lui - who will be sent to Seoul to train with the best idol-makers Korea has to offer.

Guest judges Chet Lam Yat-fung and Louie Castro spent two afternoons vetting contestants, at times giving a little tough love to those reluctant to come out of their shell.

'I see such a difference in this new generation of would-be performers,' Lam said. 'Back in the day, maybe because we didn't have so much entertainment readily available, we had to be more creative to keep things interesting for ourselves. At these auditions, I've had to look hard to find the kind of stage presence and self-expression that is so important for a performer. Confidence that shines through is so important.'

With tensions high and the hours long, a surprise visit from American Idol runner-up David Archuleta gave a welcome reprieve for contestants and judges alike. The 20-year-old was in town for a media week performance, and he popped in to give a bit of encouragement.

'I think it's great that the girls and guys here - and they look so young - are pursuing their dreams through this project. It takes courage. That deserves respect.' Right back at you, kid!