[Sportschosun, Reporter Kim Soo-hyun] In the first episode of ENA's new variety show X The League, Ki Eun-se showed steady leadership and persuasive pitching as Team Korea's captain, leading Team Korea to a joint third-place finish and signaling the full-scale start of the global selling competition.
In the premiere of ENA's X The League (XTL), which aired at 7:50 p.m. on Sunday the 2nd, eight teams from nine countries — including South Korea, the United States, Japan, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Singapore & Malaysia — gathered to begin the "global commerce national competition." A total of 40 global sellers made ambitious declarations as they aimed for the $500,000 prize money, worth about 700 million won, and the title of "Global No.1 Seller." Their spontaneous product pitches quickly drew viewers in.
That day, the two MCs, Tiffany Young and BamBam, explained the rules of X The League to the 40 sellers. BamBam announced, "The country that finishes first will receive the $500,000 prize, worth about 700 million won, along with special benefits worth $2 million, or about 3 billion won," fueling the competitors' drive to win. The representative sellers from each country were then introduced one by one. Among them, Noh Hee-young, known as "Korea's top brand maker," said, "I will make Team Korea a brand that succeeds for sure. I am confident this is the most powerful team," expressing strong trust in team captain Ki Eun-se and team members Kang Stylelist, Sang-eun Unnie, and Kkak Unnie.
Ashanty Hermansyah, who has more than 100 million followers across her family accounts, also served as captain of the Indonesia team and expressed her determination to win. The U.S. team, which included global influencer Francesca Farago, and the Japan team, featuring "gyaru icon" Kichan, also emerged as strong contenders. Meanwhile, Tiffany Young declared, "I will begin the first scouting match that will shape the flow of the competition, 'The First Pitch.'" She added, "The team that wins first place in 'The First Pitch' — where they prepare a randomly assigned product for just five minutes and then present a 180-second sales strategy — will receive the '5% sales steal right,' which allows them to take 5% of the sales from a country of their choice," stirring excitement in the studio.
Under intense tension, Indonesia went first. They were assigned a tumbler and staged a surprise performance by throwing it to the floor to emphasize its durability. However, the tumbler dented, the atmosphere turned awkward, and sighs broke out around the room. By contrast, Team Korea divided roles among themselves, including host and model, and began pitching a diet product. At that moment, Ki Eun-se said, "The secret to maintaining my figure for 10 years is a low-carb, high-fat diet!" Her firsthand explanation resonated with everyone. Next, the Singapore & Malaysia team energized the venue with an interactive presentation that felt like a live broadcast. Vietnam's team had team owner Huynh Thanh Tuyen insist on pitching alone, so she took the stage by herself. But because this violated the rule that a team owner cannot pitch, the team received a disappointing evaluation. After the pitches ended, Vietnam's Hai Dang Du said, "It would be a lie to say I have no regrets. We need to feel this failure quickly and learn an important lesson about the rules," offering a blunt assessment of the team's mistake.
The U.S. team, which everyone was watching closely, left a strong impression with a polished presentation that combined storytelling and product demonstrations. China presented clothing, a difficult product category, in a lively and entertaining way. Japan drew both laughter and immersion with an original sales format that blended comedy skits. Thailand also conveyed the product's features naturally through a relatable situational skit. Each country showcased a completely different selling style and content, highlighting the diversity of global commerce.
Once the pitches ended, the 40 sellers voted directly and the results were revealed. Vietnam finished last in eighth place, followed by Thailand in seventh, Indonesia in sixth, and China in fifth. South Korea and Japan tied for third place. Singapore & Malaysia came in second, while the United States took first place and secured the benefit of the "5% sales steal right." U.S. team captain Cade said, "Starting with a win is a boost of energy and morale. I will decide carefully how to use the 5% sales steal right," putting the other teams on edge. In the preview that followed, viewers caught a glimpse of the U.S. team deciding which country's sales to take, heightening curiosity. The announcement that the full first round, a 20-day "selling war," would begin next also raised expectations for the next broadcast.
ENA's X The League, the world's first global commerce national competition in which participants compete for their country's honor and their own names, airs every Sunday at 7:50 p.m. It is also available on Netflix and other domestic and international OTT platforms.
shyun@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
