NKC GENERAL RULES

I. Requirements for Application

1.2 Citizenship or Residency Requirement: 

• To be eligible to participate in the qualifiers, all members of the group must either be citizens or have a  permanent residency of Estonia.
• When filling out the application form for participation, there will be a section where participants must indicate their citizenship or permanent residence.
  • This section is mandatory and must be completed.
• Any participant having questions about this article can directly refer to K-POP Team for more information.

1.3 Group Size Requirement:

• Only dance groups consisting of 4 to 8 members are allowed to apply for the NKC qualifiers.

1.4 Eligibility: 

• Only groups with at least one participant aged 18 or older can enter the qualifiers.
• Guardian Role: The participant(s) who are 18 or older will act as guardians for any group members under 18.
• Parental Permission: Participants under 18 must have written permission from their legal guardian to join the qualifiers.
• Follow Festival Rules: All participants must follow the J-Tsoon festival age category rules, which set requirements based on the ages of group members.
• Responsibilities of Guardians: If the group is selected to represent Estonia at the NärCon K-Pop Championship, the guardian(s) will supervise all participants under 18 and manage any related responsibilities
• Important: Participants under 18 cannot participate in the qualifiers without a guardian aged 18 or older in their group.

1.5 Applications:

• Groups must indicate their willingness to participate in the NKC qualifiers on the application form for the K-POP GROUP COVER DANCE COMPETITION. A separate checkbox will be provided for this purpose.

2.Performance Rules

2.1 Music Length

• Performances must follow J-Tsoon rules for music length, with a maximum duration of 3 minutes and 30 seconds (210 seconds).

2.2 Song Selection

• The song selection must be from a Korean artist. Remixes are ONLY allowed if it already has an existing choreography. The remix must be an official remix and follow the other rules of the competition.
• Allowed languages for songs are Korean, Japanese, Chinese, or English

2.3 Dance Routine Requirements

• The dance routine must be the same as the original artist choreography. If the group chooses to do a cover of a remix, the remix has to have an existing choreography.

3.

Participation in the Qualifiers:

• Qualifier participation does not affect category results for most groups.
• Taking part in the qualifiers doesn’t remove the chance to compete in the chosen Competition Categories.
• All groups that check the box to participate in the qualifiers will be evaluated for the qualifier.
• Groups that participate in the qualifiers still compete in their chosen category, meaning all groups have the chance to win first and second place, except the group which will be selected to represent Estonia at NärCon.
• The group chosen to represent Estonia at NärCon will not be awarded first or second place in their category, as their “grand prize place” is the honour of representing Estonia internationally.

4. Stage

• All selected groups will be scheduled to perform first in blocks across both days of the event.
• Groups may indicate their preferred day for performance, however, due to time constraints, we cannot guarantee that the chosen day will be assigned.

5. Judging

• The evaluation of the groups will include scores for both their dance performance and their costumes.

6. If Selected for the NKC

• Travel and accommodation expenses for members of the selected group will be covered by the festival.
• The group can choose to add an intro (please refer to the NärCon K-Pop Championship rules for guidance). 
• All performance-related files (such as music tracks or other required materials please refer to the NärCon K-Pop Championship rules for guidance) must be submitted to J-Tsoon organizers as soon as possible after the festival. This ensures timely forwarding to the NKC organizers.
• If the group proceeds, the group members cannot be switched, added or deducted. In case of emergencies, such as illness or accidents, please contact the J-Tsoon organizers, who will contact NKC on your behalf.
• Selected group must adhere to all rules outlined in the NärCon K-Pop Championship guidelines to participate in the finals.

All rules regarding Finals could be find at NärCon site: https://www.narcon.se/kpop-championship

All questions regarding qualifiers could be send to kpop@jtsoon.ee email directly.